The Monkey on the Run
by daccu65
Summary: Sequel to "What Follows the Monkey". With an unstoppable spirit hunting him, how will Lord Montgomery Fiske react? Will he become contrite and cooperative, or more brutal and desperate? For Ron Stoppable, will the lure of power prove stronger than Kim's friendship and Tara's love? Now Complete.
1. Chapter 1

_Dear potential reader:_

 _The characters shown in this story are not mine, they belong to the Disney Corporation, who have apparently decided to shelve them and not make further use of them. This story is not intended to generate profit; merely entertainment._

 _This tale is a sequel to my earlier story, "What Follows the Monkey", if you have not read that tale already, this one is going to be confusing. Please take a few minutes, if you haven't already, to read said story._

 _That said, please enjoy:_

* * *

"So that's the situation," Wade told his friends. Kim and Ron were sitting in the Possibles' den and the young genius's image was on the television. "Fiske is currently on an airliner to Calcutta. He's still weak from having his heart stopped, but he'll make a full recovery fairly quickly. I'm monitoring security and other cameras and will do my best to track his movements. Duff has currently been moved to a private hospital room. He has several broken ribs, but is also expected to make a complete recovery."

"Fiske swearing revenge concerns me," Kim stated. "He has nothing to gain by it, which means he isn't thinking, he just wants to do something. Usually, when someone wants to just do something, they do something violent and foolish."

"Like I said, I'll monitor him as best I can, but even facial recognition software and a whole lot of cameras can only go so far. When he leaves Calcutta, he may go into more wilderness areas where I won't have cameras to track him."

"How about the monkey spirit?" Kim asked him. "I don't like the idea of something that powerful wandering around. You saw what happened to Duff and he's an incredibly tough customer. That thing could do more harm just pursuing Fiske than most of the super-villains could do with their plans."

"So what is there to do now?" Ron asked.

"I'm still researching the creature," Wade told them. "There has to be a loophole based on the fact that it can't break through a wall. It's that fact that any doorway, or point where a primate has passed through during construction can be forced that has me stymied. I'll keep working on the riddle."

"In the meantime, you have lives to live," Wade continued. "You have the end of the semester coming up, the other bad guys are still out there doing bad things and if I got yesterday's news correct, you have another cheer competition coming up in a couple of months."

"Don't remind me," Kim groaned. "We need a new cheer routine and Ron needs a new mascot routine."

"Speaking of routines," Ron spoke up. "Do you have another kicking one from your translations I could use?"

"The only ceremonial katas long enough to be used for the mascot routine might have some nasty side effects," Wade told him. "I haven't completely translated what they are, so I don't dare give them to you."

"We're just going to have to come up with something, ourselves," Kim decided.

"Why don't you start by taking a day off?" Wade suggested. "You've been pretty much on the run for quite some time. Take it easy today and get after it on Monday."

"Sounds good to me," Kim said. "I think Ron needs to spend some quality time with his girlfriend."

"She's spending time with family today," Ron shrugged. "And we got to hang out a little yesterday. I think I need to do a little homework and spend some time bashing some zombies. I think Kim is the one who needs to spend some couple time. Catch you later."

Kim waved at Ron as he headed towards the front door. She was already thinking of routines for the squad and thinking just a little bit about what she could do with Ron for the mascot routine. Rising and stretching, she wandered up to her room to see what was available on the public domain, and what modifications she could make to produce a winner.

As soon as Ron got home, he called Wade.

"What's up, Ron?" Wade, still shook up over Fiske's threats, welcomed a conversation with his friend.

"Got a favor to ask," Ron told him. "I've pretty much got the two ceremonial routines down and I love them. I know that you don't want to release another of the long routines, but do you have another short one for me?"

"Are you sure you should be doing this?" Wade asked. "We haven't noticed any ill effects and as far as my translations say, there shouldn't be any...but my translations aren't completely accurate."

"I'm sure, buddy," Ron told him. "Ask Kim and her Sensei. I'm getting better because of the ones you've already given me. If memory serves, didn't you say you had several that were supposed to be some sort of general benefit...you know, make someone stronger or more agile? One of them can't hurt, can it?"

"I don't think so," Wade admitted. "But why take the chance?"

"I can do better for KP," Ron insisted, now completely serious. "Wade, I don't like the idea of letting her down on a mission. She's been carrying me but maybe it's time for me to pull my own weight."

Wade hesitated.

"Wade, if she gets hurt on a mission, I want to know that I did my best for her. How will you feel if you kept me from doing my best for her?"

Wade suddenly thought of the threats Fiske had leveled.

"I've got another one that is supposed to promote endurance and agility," he told Ron. "I'll send it to you right now. Let me know if anything unusual happens."

"You got it buddy, and thanks."

Suddenly, an alert showed up on one of Wade's screens.

"Incoming mission!" Wade told Ron. "Motor Ed is stealing the world's largest wrecking ball."

"What's his plan?" Ron asked.

"I don't have it yet," Wade admitted. "But if it's Ed, it can't be good. Can you head to Kim's house? I'll have a ride heading there while I brief her."

"Y'know, it's just Ed," Ron grumbled, looking at the new ceremonial routine playing on his screen. It looked appealing.

"What was that?" Wade asked.

"Nothing!" Ron shook his head. "I'm on my way!"

With that, Ron quickly changed into his mission gear and grabbed his bag. Giving the screen one last, wistful look, he rushed to his friend's house. He showed up just as a van arrived.

"Ed's back in New Jersey," Kim told him, jumping into the van. "This van will carry us to the airport and we'll catch a flight there. Anyway, it looks like he also stole some rocket motors and he's trying to attach them to the wrecking ball."

"He's what?"

"I didn't believe it either," Kim told him. "Wade doesn't have any idea what he's trying to do, so we're going to have to play it by ear."

The van took them to the airport, where they squeezed into a very small jet. There was no pilot.

"Just relax, guys," Wade's voice sounded. "I have complete control. To the two teens' horrified amazement, the jet taxied onto the runway and launched into the air.

"We're going to be flying at close to mach 2," Wade reported. "So you'll be landing within two hours."

There wasn't much relaxation on the trip, as Kim and Ron simply couldn't get comfortable knowing that there was nobody at the controls...locally. Instead, they struggled in the cramped quarters to put on their parachutes.

"I've got a camera on Ed right now," Wade reported. "He's using bolts and screws to connect rocket motors to the wrecking ball, but he has a sophisticated, gyroscopic guidance system on it. It might not be efficient, but that wrecking ball is going to hit what he wants it to. At that speed it could destroy major bridges, ships...almost anything."

"It doesn't seem like him," Kim mused. "But then again, almost nothing is like him."

"You won't have much time once you get to his location," Wade told them. "I won't be able to land you, so you're going to have to..."

"Don't say it," Ron begged.

"Free fall," Wade told them.

"I asked you not to say it," Ron grumbled.

"Anyway, he's on the beach right now, so I'm trying to find potential targets. I can't find anything in range with any connection to him. It's a mystery."

"We'll just have to deal with him when we get there," Kim said, in a determined voice.

"And that will be in another twenty," Wade told her. "Get ready."

At the aforementioned time, the jet suddenly nosed up and powered down, slowing just enough and for just long enough for the two teens to jump. Much to Kim's surprise, Ron didn't shriek in terror and pull his ripcord right away. He didn't hold out for the last moment, but he wasn't opening his canopy at the first opportunity, either. Soon, they were on the beach.

"Seriously, what's going on?" Motor Ed's voice could be heard. "What are skydivers doing here? We're about to fire some serious rockets!"

Kim spotted the big blonde man, accompanied by four of his gearheads, clustered around a small group of ATVs. The vehicles were running and had cables connected to what appeared to be a control panel. Farther down the beach, near the shoreline, a massive steel sphere was suspended on what appeared to be a half-dozen booster rockets.

"Whoa, it's Red, seriously!" Ed shouted. "Stop her! She'll mess up the launch!"

Kim rushed at the group of charging mullets while Ed furiously connected additional wires to his control panel. She lashed out with a front kick, before her target could swing a crescent wrench at her. The man went down but three more closed in on her, one on each side and one from the front. A quick glance to her left told her that Ron had caught up and would occupy that opponent for at least a minute or two. She both diverted and dodged the stab of a screwdriver that the man on her right had thrust at her and kicked the socket wrench out of the hand of the man in front of her. She elbowed the man with the screwdriver in his chin, making him stagger back. By this time, the man who had just been disarmed (diswrenched?) charged her.

She couldn't avoid the charge, but she got her hands up and on the mans chest and got her feet planted on his stomach as he overbore her onto her back. She kept them tumbling and wound up on top of him, planting a quick, double-punch to his face and rendering him comatose. She jumped to her feet, noting that Ron had is opponent down, and turned her attention to the man who had tried to stab her with the screwdriver. Three quick, running steps put her close enough to first kick the man in the belly then knee him in the jaw as he crumpled. Looking around, she saw the first man lumber to his feet, crescent wrench in hand, only to drop again when Ron's foot caught him on the side of the head. She smiled for a moment, pleased with how quickly they had eliminated the four tough men. Then reality imposed.

"Ed!" She yelled at Ron. "We have to stop him!"

"Too late, Red, seriously!" He shouted in triumph. Kim sprinted and tackled him away from the control panel, freeing Ron to interrupt the launch. A low rumble told her she was too late.

"It's firing," Ron yelled, confirming her fears. "There's no way to stop it!"

"Told you Red, seriously!" Ed crowed and threw her off of him. He lurched away, only to have Ron tackle him. The big blonde man wound up with a mouthful of sand.

Nearer the shore, the huge steel sphere blasted into the sky.

"What's the target?" Kim demanded, putting her foot on the back of the Ed's neck.

"Urk, phlep, ptoo!" Ed replied, spitting sand out of his mouth.

"Wade, we couldn't stop the launch!" Kim gasped into the Kimmunicator. "Can you track it?"

"Working now," Wade's voice replied.

"It's not going anywhere, seriou...ptoo...seriously!" Ed managed to spit out, through the sand still in his mouth. "Just into the ocean."

"Not even you are enough of an idiot to go through all this effort just to put a wrecking ball into the ocean!"

"Kim, it's just going into the ocean!" Wade reported. "It's going almost straight up, with a slight arc to the east. It will fall into the ocean just a few hundred yards from shore!"

"What's the point!" Kim demanded of Ed. "Are you trying to flood a port, wash out some resort, swamp a ship? Why did you do this?"

"Nothin' like that, seriously!" Ed protested. "All I wanna do is..."

"Kim, the wrecking ball won't displace enough water to damage any structures or watercraft," Wade told her. "Here it comes! Impact it five...four...three...two...one..."

"Check it out, seriously!" Ed lurched out of Ron's grip and jumped to his feet. He made no move to flee or to fight, just stared at the massive wrecking ball as hit hammered into the ocean.

"Gnarly!" He exulted, jumping up and down. "Seriously gnarly! I got it all on camera."

"What is this?" Kim demanded. "You stole a wrecking ball, solid fuel rocket boosters and a guidance and stabilization system, just to drop the wrecking ball into the ocean?"

"It was more than that, Red, seriously!" Ed protested, still staring in rapt attention at the column of water still extending into the sky. "I was seriously creating the world's biggest bloop and recording it on camera."

"What!" At that moment, Frugal Lucre could have beaten Kim, she was incapable of movement.

"This is my legacy, seriously," Ed actually had a tear in his eye as he watched the water pillar fall back into the ocean. "The largest man-made splash ever, seriously."

"We spent two hours in a cramped jet," Kim snarled, her voice growing louder as she spoke, closing on Ed with a dangerous look in her eye. "Did a free-fall and now we're looking at a two hour flight back, just because you had to make a big splash?"

"A bloop," Ed corrected her.

"Seriously?" She asked.

"Seriously!" He confirmed.

Her fist came up, ready to deck the idiot but she somehow managed to restrain herself. Sirens now sounded and police started to pour into the area. Even though nobody was injured and no property had been damaged, the rockets and wrecking ball were valuable, so Ed and his gearheads were going to be seeing some...serious...prison time.

"One of the policemen will give you a ride to the nearest airstrip," Wade told her. "The jet is ready for your return trip. I'll let you parachute home and save a few minutes. It's still going to turn into a late night."

"All for a big splash," Kim shook her head.

"You have to admit, KP," Ron told her, as they climbed into the back of a police car. "It was pretty cool."

"You should have seen it from my angle," Wade chimed in. "I had a camera on top of a billboard; the view was awesome!"

Kim just shook her head.

Males!

* * *

"You two look tired," Tara commented to Kim and Ron when she met them by Kim's locker. Kim's eyelids were dropping just a bit but Ron had dark circles under his.

"Mission to the East Coast yesterday," Kim explained. "Took us until kind of late."

"And I had a little work to do when we got back," Ron added.

"I thought you had your homework done yesterday morning," Tara looked at her boyfriend. "That's what you told me!"

"It was kind of personal," Ron told her. "But I finished it in the end. How was your day?"

"Well, my grandparents are going to be here for Thanksgiving," she told him. "And they'd like to meet my boyfriend while they're here."

"I'd like to stay with the 'rents on the day," Ron told her. "But maybe Friday?"

"That would be perfect," Tara told him. "The gym is going to be open that day and I'd like to bounce an idea for the new mascot routine off of you."

"How about me?" Kim asked, her eyes narrowed just a bit.

"I'd like to see if we can make something work, then let you see what you think about it," Tara told the captain, a touch of irritation in her voice.

"Oh, that's nice of you," Kim admitted. "Sorry if I harshed, I'm a little tired."

"Rough mission?" Tara asked, her tone conveying that she accepted Kim's apology.

"Just a lot of travel," Kim shook her head. "That's the bad thing, it was easy and we didn't even need to be there."

"In fact, it was a bit of a blooper," Ron told his girlfriend. Kim suddenly glared at her friend.

"Seriously?" Tara asked.

"Seriously!" Ron confirmed.

Tara just watched, confused, as the redhead stalked down the hall talking to herself.

* * *

"Okay, everyone," Kim told the squad, when they assembled for practice after school. "I don't have to tell everyone that we won the region last week."

She was interrupted by a short round of cheers.

"I also don't have to tell everyone that this means we have to learn a new routine for the district competition in January."

The expressions of joy were a little more muted.

"I'm currently narrowing down the routines," Kim told them. "I'll have three for us to chose from by Wednesday, and the squad will vote on the routines. If we have a tie, Ron will be the tie-breaker."

The squad nodded, it made sense to them.

"So until we decide on the new routine, we're going to practice the old ones, to keep us limber, in shape, are ready to cheer for the holiday basketball tournament. Next week, we're going to have to work hard if we're going to win again."

The rest of the squad just nodded. They knew that they were going to have to work hard to win.

"Okay, first routine, from the top," Kim told them.

Ron worked on his own routines during the short week and ran through the cute little dual routine with Tara a couple of times, each night, after Kim released the rest of the squad. Since Tara and Ron were the last two working out, Tara couldn't catch her usual ride home with Bonnie. As a result, Ron walked her home all three cold nights. Ron was ready, and had a blanket with him. As the two blondes walked, they held the blanket around them, feeling close and warm.

Every night, Ron found that he couldn't relax and sleep until he had run through his three kata routines.

As was their custom, Kim and Ron hung with each other Thanksgiving evening. Ron was saddened to learn that Jim and Tim were disappointed with how little time he was spending at the Possible home lately. The two Dr.s Possible asked a few discrete questions and learned that Ron now had a girlfriend, just like Kim had a casual boyfriend. Anne Possible smiled, but the smile seemed a little sad. Still, the Possibles enjoyed their reunion, of a sort, with Ron.

Friday, Ron had to face the most frightening challenge that a teenage boy could face; the official meeting with not only his girlfriend's parents, but her grandparents as well. He had a bit of a break in that Tara answered the door and let him in. His girlfriend claimed one of his hands, led him into the living room and sat down next to him while he endured the interrogation. It wasn't as bad as he thought it would be, facing a villains who use death-rays, plasma and deadly martial arts tends to sort of numb one to verbal assaults. Tara's ancestors seemed to be half amused and half charmed to find out that their progeny had been on the same team as her boyfriend for over a year before starting to date.

The questioning came to a merciful end when Tara used the lead in of being on the squad to tell her gathered family that the two of them had to put in a bit of a workout at the gym. To the accompaniment of several 'nice to meet you's the two blondes left for the gym. Once there, the two went to the respective locker rooms, changed, then met to warm up. After that, Tara told Ron what she had in mind for the routine.

"I like it," Ron told her. "But don't you think it's a little bold?"

"That's the point of being a cheerleader," she told him. "Even if you're a shy person, you get to kick loose and be bold while you're performing. I know that the mascot routine is supposed to be for you, but would you like to try this?"

"I'd love it!" He told her. "So, to do that twirl, you cross arms, I kick over and pull you under my legs..."

The two cheerleaders went to work for the rest of the afternoon, practicing the dance steps and piecing them together. They were so looking forward to showing this off to the rest of the squad; and absolutely flooring any audience!

* * *

Lord Montgomery Fiske looked out of his Calcutta hotel room and sighed. It wasn't in his nature to simply sit and wait for an opponent to come to him; he was used to gathering his minions and going to meet such challenges in an aggressive manner. It wasn't like him to flee opponents. The fact that he couldn't stand against what was hunting him made him grind his teeth in frustration. Somebody would pay for this situation, actually three people; the cheerleader, the pretender and the egghead. Because of them, he was in exile.

Fiske took a few moments to be thankful for the internet. He took a few more moments to be thankful that he had possessed the foresight to store all of his research on a personal server, still functional back at his castle, which he could now access from a different continent. Before doing anything else, he called up the tracking program, which showed his best calculations for the spirit's current location. He estimated that his stalker would reach his location in another two weeks. After that, he wouldn't go to Sydney, like the loathsome Mr. Lode had suggested.

Passively waiting to be found did not sit well with Lorde Montgomery Fiske. He still had ideas, plans to gain enough power to face the monkey spirit. The Amulet of the Monkey King had been discovered and was now on display in a Chinese Museum. The fools had no idea what it was capable of. Once the spirit made its appearance here in Calcutta, Fiske would travel first to Taipei, where he would meet with a select group of his ninja monkeys. From there, it would be to Beijing, where he would access the extensive network of contacts and guides he had established throughout his career and visit this museum. Once he scouted the security, the amulet would be his!

Fiske wondered if the spirit would still pursue him once he became the Monkey King. After all, once he merged with the amulet, he would no longer be Montgomery Fiske; his very species would be different. Even if the spirit continued to pursue him, as the king of all monkeys, he would probably be able to order it to halt its attack, perhaps even order it to attack the three irritants in his life.

If all else failed, the sheer power of being the Monkey King would prove to be of tremendous benefit, once he managed to attune himself and gain mastery.

Fiske smiled. Revenge would be so much sweeter for all of the indignities he had suffered at the hands of the cheerleader, the pretender and their handler.

* * *

 _A/N: Big thanks go out to Joe Stoppinghem, for his beta reading. Comments and suggestions are always welcome...flames included._

 _Just to let everyone know, I'm altering the order of the episodes. While Kim and Ron know Motor Ed in this arc, Felix has not yet arrived in Middleton._


	2. Chapter 2

"This is odd," Wade reported to Kim.

"Please tell me that it isn't the 'let's take up a lot of time' kind of odd," Kim told her friend, as she and Ron walked to school. "We're working a new routine and final exams are showing on the horizon."

"Odd as in interesting," Wade told her. "I tracked Shego to the same hotel in Calcutta where Fiske is staying. A couple hours after she showed up, there was some sort of disturbance, I have surveillance footage of her leaving via a window, from the twelfth floor, then another camera showed Fiske leaving via an emergency exit. After that, the hotel staff generated a work order, replacing two doors in Fiske's suite."

"Do you think the spirit caught up to Fiske?" Ron asked.

"This all happened within the error margin I had set for when the spirit should reach him," Wade agreed. "The footage shows Fiske moving very quickly on the sidewalk until he flagged a taxi down. After that, he went to the airport but he didn't catch a flight to Sydney, he got on a plane to Taipei."

"What did he do there?" Kim asked.

"The aircraft is still in the air," Wade told her. "I'm trying to set up additional surveillance cameras in that city."

"Any idea why he's not going to Sydney?" Kim wondered.

"Not at this time," Wade admitted. "I'm running a filter program at this time, trying to find anything that he might be interested in either Taiwan or Mainland China. Of course, he could be doing this just to spite me."

"If so, it would be kind of foolish," Ron cut into the conversation. "Monty doesn't like to call attention to himself when he's away from his castle. In Calcutta, he was in an area frequented by Europeans so he didn't look out of place. In Sydney, he could blend in to a certain extent. Is there an area in Taipei where there's lots of Europeans?"

"I'll check on that, as well," Wade nodded. "If he winds up mingling with Asians, making himself visible, we can assume that he's up to something."

"Any other news?" Kim prompted.

"Something you might want to know," Wade told her. "The school officials for the Tri City Area high schools had a little talk. You already knew about the basketball and wrestling tournaments that were going to take place between the schools next weekend."

"Ready and pumped to fire up the crowds!" Ron told him.

"Well, the officials decided that they could throw a little more competition into the mix," Wade smiled. "They managed to find some qualified judges and will have a competition between the cheer squads, as well."

"What!" Kim snapped at him. "Why didn't you tell me this right away?"

"The officials are going to make the announcement later today."

"But you already knew and could have told me!" She shouted at the unassuming device in her hand and, by extension, Wade.

"Kim," he tried to be reasonable. "I gave you the news about an international criminal's unexpected movements first."

"But this is cheer leading!" Kim pointed out. "I face international criminals on an almost weekly basis, but I only have a few competitions every year! Prioritize, Wade!"

"Uh, Kim?" He pointed out. "You still found out before you actually got to school. You haven't lost any time!"

"I could have been debating if I should use the old routines or the new ones for the competition! I could have been deciding between Ron's old kata routine for the mascot portion or insist on seeing what he and Tara have come up with!"

"Why don't you just run both and see which one has the most promise?" Wade asked.

"See, if you had told me about the competition right away, I could have come to that conclusion fifty steps ago!" She grabbed Ron's arm and picked up the pace. "C'mon Ron, we have work to do!"

"Just what?" Ron demanded, being dragged along at a pace he usually reserved for running from bizarre weapons. "Practice isn't until this afternoon, anyway!"

"But we can put notes in the squads' lockers," she told him. "Tell them what's going to happen! Get everyone on the right mindset!"

"Between the two of us, we share classes with every member before noon!" He pointed out. "We can let everyone know what's up. Running won't help."

Kim reluctantly slowed to a more sedate pace.

"Okay, fine," she told him. "But you have to tell Tara right away! No getting cute with her until she has the news."

"Don't sweat it," he told her.

By this time, they had reached the high school. Kim went straight to her locker to collect her books for the morning. While collecting her books, she heard a gentle, giggly voice behind her say "bloop".

She turned around to see Ron, with an expression that was equal parts tolerant, happy and exasperated, and with a pair of small, feminine hands over his eyes.

"I'm getting the idea that I shouldn't be as forthcoming about mission details as I have been," Ron quipped. "Other guys have girlfriends who cover their eyes and say 'guess who'. I have a girlfriend who teases me about missions. Of course, most guys don't have a girlfriend anywhere near as adorable, so I guess it all works out."

Kim grinned as Tara removed her hands and took a place beside the young man.

"I hope you've been working on the new mascot routine," Kim told her friends. "Because you're going to be showing it off to the squad tonight."

"What?" Tara first looked at Kim, then at Ron.

"We just found out that there's going to be a cheer leading competition at the Tri-city tournament next weekend." Ron informed her.

"We could use a little more practice time," Tara said. "But you'll see what we can do. Ron, did you bring the shirt?"

"In my locker," Ron told her.

"Shirt?" Kim asked.

"You'll see," Ron actually managed to provide her with an impish smile.

"Pass the word around the squad," Kim told the two blondes. "We're going to rehearse both the old routines and the new ones tonight and figure out which we want to use next weekend. We don't have the time to keep the old one on hold while working on the new one. We're going to decide on a routine tonight and work it hard until next weekend."

Tara flinched a little, fully aware of what happened whenever Kim said 'work it hard'.

Despite the fact that the entire squad felt a certain sense of impending 'exertion doom' by the end of the school day, they had a sense of anticipation as well. Tonight they were going to decide which routine they would use and would practice it for the upcoming competition. They all wanted to prove that they were ready to use the routine they would take to the January competition, as they wanted to be able to concentrate on one routine.

Ron set up a camera, high in the bleachers to record the execution, then activated the portable stereo. The squad executed the routine that they had used to win the regional competition. Once done, they took a short break to catch their collective breath while Ron set the stereo for the new routine's music. With the camera and music ready, the boy started the stereo and the squad went into the new routine. Finished, they grabbed water bottles while Ron pulled in a plasma screen and connected it to the camera. The squad watched both routines several times, making comments and discussing the advantages and disadvantages of going with both. Kim kept a close eye on the discussion, stepping in when it got too heated. Finally, she called for a vote. The vote was four to two to go with the new routine. Then, it was time to select the mascot's routine.

Even though everyone had already seen the ceremonial kata several times, Kim had Ron perform it again. As always, Ron felt a slight surge of energy when he completed it...although the surge wasn't as intense as it was when he did it in front of a clapping audience and with the live drums.

"Tara and Ron have put together another routine," Kim announced. "I'd like them to perform it so we can decide if they should do this one, or if Ron should do the old one."

"Okay, if we do this, picture the squad just leaving the floor," Tara told everyone. "I hang back as Ron comes on the floor. Hit it, Kim."

The unmistakable drum rip from 'Sing Sing Sing' by Benny Goodman blared from the stereo in response to Kim pressing a button. Tara King, the sweet and sometimes shy girl, vanished. In her place was a confident, beautiful young woman, wearing an almost predatory expression as she approached the mascot with a bouncing strut, shaking her hips with every step, moving in rhythm with the driving percussion. She walked in front of Ron, reaching out and touching a finger to his right shoulder and drawing the digit across his upper chest to his left shoulder and around to his upper back as she stalked around him with the same, hip-shaking walk.

For a moment, Kim reflected on the fact that Tara could sometimes be a different person when she was performing with the squad. When she was away from the squad, she tended to be a little on the shy side. The redhead wondered if her blonde friend would have been too uncomfortable to work on this routine, which promised to be a little on the provocative side, if she hadn't already been dating Ron. The redhead suddenly smiled as another thought occurred to her; was this how Tara would like to act towards Ron, but was still a little shy to come out and actually do so outside of a cheer leading routine?

The low brass rip joined the drums as Tara circled behind Ron, her finger having traced around his left shoulder and now in the middle of his upper back. Ron must have discretely loosened the straps that secured the Mad Dog head, since Tara flicked her finger up, catching the edge of the mask and flipping it off of Ron's head. The blonde boy caught the mask and tossed it towards Kim, who caught it while watching the unfolding spectacle on the floor.

With Ron now revealed to be a teenage boy and not an anthropomorphic canine, Tara suddenly pressed herself up against Ron's back, reaching around him to grasp his sweatshirt low on his waist. Ron dropped to one knee, raised his arms to the sky and Tara yanked his sweatshirt off, revealing that Ron was wearing a sleek, tight black shirt. While Kim was aware that Ron had changed over the years, she hadn't realized that the last of his boyish chubbiness had vanished and he now had a lean, wiry build.

The trumpet section kicked in while Ron regained both feet, spinning to face Tara and the two did a couple of swing moves, holding hands. Before they made the third lunge, they released hands, Tara crossed her wrists before they clasped their hands again. This time, as they withdrew from the lunge, Ron threw a leg up and over their clasped hands, leaving Tara behind him. He pulled her through his legs, lofting her into the air and twirling his girlfriend one and a half full spins in the air, catching her at the waist as she came down.

The rest of the band kicked in and belted out the driving melody while the mascot and the cheerleader performed the classic lift move. Tara first came down and swung her legs to Ron's left side while Ron bent at the waist to absorb her momentum. Ron uncoiled and lifted her into the air again, her body horizontal and with her forehead touching Ron's. This time, when she descended she swung her legs to Ron's other side. Another lift and this time she put a leg on either side of Ron's waist when she came down. This allowed Ron to shift his grip slightly before uncoiling his body once more, lofting her into the air again. This time, she didn't lift her legs but stayed vertical and allowed him to twirl her before catching her and lowering her to the ground, right in front of him.

Now the clarinet started and the two blondes danced back and forth in front of the audience. They used intricate leg movements, kicking and swaying with Ron so close behind his partner that they could have been glued together and Tara's expression was absolutely sultry. Next came the mid-song drum solo. Ron reached his left arm around Tara, catching her right hand and pulling her into a twirl that ended with them facing each other mirroring each others ragtime kicks, arm movements and exaggerated claps. Both dancers wore wide, frisky smiles. The instruments started again and they came together, Ron grabbed Tara's waist and hoisted her up and over his head so she slid down his back. They linked arms and Tara bent forward, helping Ron execute a back flip over her to land on his feet with the dancers facing each other again, as the second drum solo began.

Now Tara poured on the hip movements, shaking her hips to the point that Kim swore she must have a paint-mixing machine under her skirt. Ron took on a vapid expression, like a young man who was completely mesmerized by her display. Kim wondered how much of it was actually acting until the blonde girl twirled her hips, almost like she was winding up and made an exaggerated hip thrust in her partner's direction. Ron dropped to the ground like he was poleaxed. The rest of the squad started to giggle.

Tara executed a series of handsprings, approaching then vaulting over Ron's prostrated form. As soon as Tara passed over him, Ron scissored his legs and started spinning on his back, something like an old-style break dance. He was spinning when he executed a classic, martial arts back-spring recovery, spinning in the air and landing facing his dance partner. The rest of the squad gasped at Ron's display of agility as the two performers pressed close to each other, his arm around her waist and hers around his shoulders, each with a hand extended out and clutching the others. The intricate kick moves were back as they first danced towards the audience, then reversed their grips and danced their way back to the center of the court.

Closing in on the end of the song, they faced the audience with Tara in front of Ron. He grabbed her waist and hoisted while she jumped, putting her completely over Ron's head and landing behind him. She crouched and reached between his legs while he caught her crossed arms, pulled her through and twirled her again. Landing, she fell back into his arms and performed a high kick. The song was now on its final stanza and the two performers took on expressions of fear. They ran to where Ron's mask and sweatshirt lay on the floor. Acting like they were panicking, Tara helped Ron put his sweatshirt on, then put the Mad Dog Head back in place. The last move was her lifting the mask, giving Ron a quick peck on the cheek and returning the mask to its proper position.

"This is where the squad would come back on court," Tara told the stunned and appreciative cheer squad.

The rest of the girls applauded the performance and came out on the court to congratulate the performers. Kim could appreciate not only the very hot and energetic performance, but the act it conveyed; that the two were secretly infatuated with each other and keeping it secret from the rest of the squad. In a way, it approached reality.

"The two of you worked this out in a couple of weeks?" Hope asked, amazed.

"She did," Ron pointed at Tara. "She choreographed the entire routine, I just did what she told me to."

"I don't care," Kim told her friends. "That was great. What do you say, the old ceremonial kata or this?"

"THIS!" The rest of the squad insisted.

"Let's call it a night," Kim suggested. "We all know what we're going to do for the competition next weekend.

The squad cheered again. They knew that there would be hard work, but they knew what to do.

"Kim?" Tara asked the captain while the rest of the girls made their way to the locker room. "Was it really a good routine?"

Kim couldn't help but smile. The confident, almost arrogant young woman who had performed on the court just minutes ago was gone and in her place was Tara, the nervous, kind and somewhat shy girl who could use some reassurance.

"Tara," she said. "If you made that routine any hotter, you'd set the sprinkler system off. That was amazing!"

"Thanks," the blonde actually blushed. "I just put some pieces together from some swing moves and it seemed to work. It was really fun working with Ron to get ready."

Again, Kim was forced to wonder if Tara would like to be a little more...aggressive...with her relationship with Ron, but was just too shy to come out and act the way she wanted.

"It still needs a little work," Kim pointed out. "But you're almost there. We'll do one routine, you and Ron will do this, then we'll do our finishing routine. I hope you have the endurance to do it all."

"Oh, I'll be fine," Tara assured her. "Let's just get another win."

Kim just smiled and made her own way to the locker room. After watching that performance, she could use a cold shower.

Kim moved quickly when she wanted to and considering her busy life, she wanted to move quickly almost all of the time. She outpaced the other girls on the squad in showering and getting dressed and was the first one out of the locker room and back in the gym. There, she found her best friend, who was waiting for his girlfriend. She walked over and sat next to him while he waited.

"That was an awesome routine," she told him. "You must have really worked hard to pick it up in such a short time."

"Yeah," his voice and expression were kind of wistful. "It was a lot of fun practicing with Tara and I'm sure we're going to get some serious points from some judges."

"As well as a lot of cheers and energy from the crowds," Kim pointed out.

"But I hope I can still to the ceremonial kata every once in a while," he sighed. "Something feels so right about that routine...I always feel so strong whenever I do it in front of a crowd and a live band."

"We'll keep using it," Kim told him. "The band's drummers have the rift down solid, so it's part of our entertainment repertoire. We'll just be using it as more of a filler for long time outs and delays, rather than for the halftime entertainment."

Ron looked a little happier after she said that. For a few moments, she wondered why he would miss doing the kata, when the alternative was a very hot, very provocative little number with his very pretty girlfriend. She was interrupted by the rest of the squad showing up. Ron got to his feet when his girlfriend approached.

Performing the routine in front of the squad, getting their enthusiastic approval, seemed to have done something for Tara. While the rest of the squad knew that Tara and Ron were dating, most didn't know how serious the two were about each other. Usually when the two met up for Ron to walk her home, he would offer his arm and she would take it. Tonight, with no faculty in the immediate area, she walked up to her boyfriend, put her arms around his neck and gave him a short, yet passionate kiss on the mouth. Kim watched the rest of the squad. To her surprise, Bonnie appeared to be neither surprised nor disapproving. Hope also just smiled at the two but Jessica, Marcella, Liz and Crystal seemed surprised at the display.

As was his usual habit, Ron offered Tara his arm, the two bid the rest of the squad goodbye and walked out of the gym.

"I'd offer her a ride," Bonnie spoke towards the blondes' disappearing backsides. "But I'd be weirded out if she accepted."

For the first time in a long time, Kim laughed at a Bonnie joke.

Kim's homework session that night was interrupted by a familiar, four tone chime.

"What's the sitch?" She asked.

"Update on Fiske," the youngster reported. "He arrived in Taipei and checked into a luxury hotel. After that, he appears to have tried to arrange for transportation to Beijing. He's also arranging to have a cargo shipment from London forwarded to Beijing, as well."

"Want to bet it's some of his monkey ninjas?" Kim asked.

"I'm not taking that bet," Wade told her.

"Any idea what he wants in Beijing?" Kim prompted.

"Not at this time," Wade admitted. "I calculate a sixty five percent chance he's after an artifact called the Amulet of the Monkey King. It's supposed to turn the bearer into the king of all simians. There's a twenty percent chance he's after a set of golden monkey statues, worth something on the order of four million on the black market."

"It's not like him to go for money," Kim pointed out.

"His estate has incurred additional expenses," Wade informed her. "He's been changing out a lot of windows and he demands the best. They don't come cheap."

"Any idea why he's changing windows?"

"Not a clue," Wade admitted. "I figured we can look into that once we deal with what he's doing in Taiwan."

"When will he make his move?"

"He seems to be having some difficulty with the transportation" Wade told her. "Tensions are pretty high between the two countries, so there's only so many seats available. Throw in the fact that Fiske pretty much demands first class accommodations and he doesn't want to go anywhere without his ninjas, it's going to be hard for him to find a flight."

"Do you have a suggestion?" Kim asked.

"I think it's too early to move you and Ron into place," Wade told her. "It's a sixteen hour trip, one-way. Let me monitor him and find out what he's after. We can be pretty sure he's up to something illegal, otherwise he wouldn't be bringing his monkeys along."

"Keep me posted," Kim told him.

"Always, Kim," he assured her. "I should have more info for you sometime tomorrow."

Kim heaved a heavy sigh once her young friend signed off. It seemed that everything always happened at once. A sudden competition as well as the scheduled one next month. Finals. Now, another potential mission on the far side of the world. At least she was on top of things, academically.

The walk to school with Ron the next morning cleared her head a little. Her friend told her that Wade had updated him, as well so they were free to talk about teenage things, like the competition, finals and the upcoming holidays.

"So, do you have anything planed for you and Tara over the holidays?" She asked him.

"Well, I was able to get tickets for the Middleton Symphony's Christmas Concert the day before Christmas Eve," Ron told her.

"That's good," Kim told him.

"I've arranged to pick her up in a horse and sleigh," he continued.

"That's better," Kim nodded.

"We'll have dinner afterwards," he finished. "After that, I'm pretty much running on empty."

"That should be good enough," Kim told him. "You're turning into a pretty good boyfriend."

"Hey, thanks for all the consulting," he frowned. "How about you and Josh? Do you guys have anything planned?"

"Not really," she admitted. "I'm hoping he comes up with something, but he's been a little distracted lately. His band has a lot of offers to play at parties over the break."

"Has he invited you to show up for any of them?" Ron asked.

"Yeah, but it's kind of awkward," Kim admitted. "I've gone to a couple but it just seems wrong to dance when my date is playing the music I'm dancing to and can't join me. I'll probably go to a couple anyway."

"You could always join us," Ron offered. "It might seem a little awkward, but we could..."

"Don't go there," Kim told him. "I wouldn't mind joining you for some skating, skiing or other things, but that sounds like a romantic evening. I'm not about to be a third wheel."

By now they were at Kim's locker. Upon opening the door, her screen came to life with Wade's image.

"Update, guys," he told them. "I'm ninety-seven percent sure that Fiske is going to try to steal the Amulet of the Monkey King. He's currently flying to Beijing and has purchased a ticket to visit the museum later today...local time."

"Will we get there in time?" Ron asked, noticing Tara showing up.

"I'm willing to bet that he's going to visit the museum and scope it out," Wade told them. "He'll make his move based on that. Commercial aircraft take about sixteen hours to reach Beijing, but I have a ride that will get there in twelve. Pick up at the airport in two hours, your ride to the airport will be at the school in a half-hour. In the meantime, I'm contacting the museum and city authorities."

"Then we're on our way," Kim started to scoop her books into her bag.

"I'll get your class assignments and forward them to your Kimmunicator," Wade told her. "You'll have plenty of study time on the flights.

"I better grab my books," Ron added. He turned to his girlfriend, "sorry about tonight. With any luck, I'll be able to make it up to you Saturday."

"Just get back safe," she told him, giving him a quick, discrete and completely against school policy hug.

"Let our 'rents know, as well," Kim told Wade. "We're going up against Monkeyfist."

* * *

 _A/N: Thanks for reading and a big shout out to my ever patient beta Joe Stoppinghem._


	3. Chapter 3

The general public tends to not know that not all museum artifacts are on display. For every item placed in a display for public view, there are additional items in the typical museum's storage areas, either being prepared for display, maintained or even simply kept waiting, for the inevitable time when the public will lose interest in what is currently offered and want something different. Museums also face a bit of a paradox when it comes to security; the displays must allow the public to view the artifacts, which inherently puts the artifacts at a certain risk for theft and vandalism. For this reason, most museums have extensive security systems and even guards on hand for the display areas.

The storage and support areas, on the other hand, don't need to be as open and visible, which means the artifacts therein can be provided with greater passive physical security. For this reason, the motion sensors, wandering guards and other active security elements can be scaled back to a certain degree. Thus, when an air diffuser shifted in a certain preparation room, in certain museum in Beijing, there were no live guards to notice and the motion sensors did not detect it.

The grille lowered slightly, then tilted and was drawn back into the duct that it covered. A tiny, simian face emerged and a simian hand brought a blowgun to the monkey's mouth. A tiny dart, too small for a security system to detect, flew through the air to pierce one of the room's motion sensors, shorting it out. Three more such strikes rendered the room without a security system. The monkey, dressed in a martial artist's tunic, dropped out of the duct and landed, with only a whisper of sound, on the floor. It quickly scrambled to an exit door, produced a small set of wire cutters from its clothing and cut a pair of wires above the door. It then opened the portal, allowing Lord Montgomery Fiske to enter the room, along with a small swarm of similarly-attired monkeys.

"Good job, Chippy," the nobleman patted the aforementioned monkey on the head. "Now remember everyone, we have the security systems compromised and the communication channel to the monitoring station disconnected. However, the system is scheduled to call in, four hours from now and there are guards out in the display area. We must be quick and quiet."

"Chippy, you and I will search for the amulet," he continued. "Tommy and Limey, you will search for the ivory elephant carvings. Everyone else will pick up anything of either gold or silver."

"That's low, even for you," Kim Possible declared, as she and Ron Stoppable stepped out of a shadowed corner. "You've always stolen monkey-themed artifacts. Now you're stealing ivory, silver and gold?"

"And the cheer squad shows up," Fiske sneered. "I don't suppose that you teens would understand the expenses that can arise when trying to maintain a mansion in proper style."

"By stealing?" Kim placed her hands on her hips, showing her contempt.

"It's your fault!" Fiske snarled. "If you dolts hadn't turned that spirit upon me, I would have never been driven from my home, I would have never taken my monkey ninjas to Killigan's Island and he would have never introduced them to golf!"

"Okay, the golf equipment can be spendy," Ron admitted. "But your estate should have been able to meet the costs."

"The equipment was bad enough," Fiske grumbled, mournfully. "But it's what came afterwards that was so expensive."

"Not seeing the costs," Kim told him.

"Fool of a cheerleader," he growled, "What do you think monkeys do when they enjoy golf, have equipment and I'm not around to keep them focused on more important matters?"

"They play golf?" Kim guessed.

"They play golf!" Fiske confirmed, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "At all hours of the day, apparently! They're obsessed with it!"

"Still not seeing how that becomes more expensive," Ron shrugged.

"I said they were obsessed with it, you pretender," Fiske now turned his ire onto Ron. "I didn't say they were _good_ at it. Apparently, monkeys tend to hook when they tee off!"

Chippy emitted a very offended squeak.

"I don't care if it was technically a slice, the lot of you are either slicers or hook...never mind." Fiske snarled at his small servant. "It means the same thing; golf balls flying through my very numerous, very large, very ornate and thus, very _expensive_ windows! Now, instead of discussing the intricacies of that ridiculous pastime, why don't the lot of you earn your bananas? Monkey ninjas, attack!"

Chippy lifted the blowgun to her mouth again and sent a tiny dart flying towards Kim. The redhead dodged but not enough, she felt a tiny slice along the side of her neck. She looked at both Chippy and the Englishman in terrified shock.

"Prepare to meet your maker," Fiske smirked at his foe as the rest of his ninjas surged forward to meet Ron. "The poison on that dart will arrange for that meeting in under two minutes!"

Chippy promptly chittered at her master.

"What! What do you mean it isn't poisoned?" Fiske demanded. "Why didn't you bring any poisoned darts?"

More chittering answered him.

"Why did you use all of the poisoned darts on gophers at my estate?" Fiske demanded.

Still more chittering sounded in response.

"They were digging up the greens? Wait, ARE THE LOT OF YOU BUILDING A GOLF COURSE ON MY PROPERTY?" Fiske looked equal parts shocked and angry.

Chippy only nodded.

"We will discuss this later," Fiske snarled. "It looks like I'm going to have to do this the old fashioned way."

Without another word, Fiske launched himself at Kim. In the meantime, the redhead had noted that she had a very slight cut on her neck. There was a little bleeding, but nothing to be concerned about. She dodged the kick that the oncoming nobleman launched and attempted to kick his supporting leg. Fiske jumped over her sweep, but left himself vulnerable to her oncoming attacks. He managed to block both of her punches but had to take the knee to the stomach. He staggered back to a wall, then threw another kick her way. Kim was forced to dodge, which gave Fiske a chance to reset himself. Soon, the two were involved in a blistering series of punches, kicks and dodges.

Kim was forced to keep moving. Fiske was larger and stronger than her and his monkey feet gave him a powerful advantage if he could get close enough to grapple. Also, Kim had to worry about monkey ninjas catching her from behind and since she couldn't spare much time on her surroundings with Fiske attacking, she was forced to move. She noted that a couple of monkeys were searching the room during the fight while most of the rest were dealing with Ron. She was heartened to see that Ron was moving as well, pausing every once in awhile to drop one of his pursuers.

This little observation nearly cost her, as she barely managed to move her head out of the way of one of Monkeyfist's punches, then managed to block the next. She redirected his kick and managed to land a hard kick of her own, hard enough to injure his thigh muscle. She blocked his backhand, but the force sent her staggering backwards. By the time she regained her balance, he was once again on his feet and ready to continue the fight. Suddenly, a monkey's shriek interrupted him.

"You've found the amulet?" Fiske yelled to one of his minions. "Excellent! Leave now. Remaining monkey ninjas, cover Chippy's retreat!"

Kim executed a series of handsprings, avoiding Fiske and reaching the door. She took up position at that point, preventing the monkeys' exit. She was heartened to see that Ron had managed to whittle his assailants down to three, and he was squared off directly with them, no longer fleeing. Fiske rushed her and they were soon battling hard again.

"Give up Fiske," she snarled. The guards had to have heard us by now! There's no way you're getting by me."

"Chippy, back the way you came, we'll meet up later!" Fiske called to his minion.

The monkey jumped towards the open duct. Kim tried to intercept but just as Fiske couldn't force his way past her, she couldn't force her way past him to stop the monkey from escaping. Suddenly, another monkey went flying through the air to collide with Chippy. The amulet was dislodged in the collision and flew through the air. Ron, who had finished off his opponents, made a run for it.

"No!" Fiske snapped, suddenly running away from Kim in his own effort to catch the amulet.

Nobleman and teen boy collided under the falling amulet. They grappled with each other, reaching for the talisman. First Fiske got a hand on it and then Ron, swatting and grasping for the artifact while fighting each other. Finally, tangled up with each other, they fell over, punching and grappling. One flailing limb, Kim couldn't say who's, struck the amulet, sending it arching in her direction. She reached up to catch it, only to have Chippy jump on her, blocking her view. Kim swiftly threw the monkey off of her and felt a very slight jolt on her neck.

She felt at her neck and realized that by some stroke of luck, the amulet had managed to fall on her! The ribbon had gone over her head and the amulet had come to rest on the slight wound she had taken early in the fight. She smiled at Fiske.

"Well, it would appear that I have the amulet," She smirked at the villain. "Why don't you just give up now?"

Both Fiske and Ron scrambled to her feet. She was dismayed for a moment to see that Ron had taken the worse in the exchange, with an eye already swelling up and a trickle of blood flowing from the corner of his mouth. She then realized that he was still able to function. Ron and her would be more than a match for Fiske and Chippy. Then, the amulet emitted a beam of emerald light.

Her body trembled and lifted off the ground. Fiske and Ron stared at her, Ron in stunned disbelief and Fiske in horror. She fell to the ground, somewhat disoriented. The amulet was gone, it's ribbon still around Kim's neck. Where it had touched her wound, a monkey image now resided.

"KP, that's just not you," Ron commented.

"What are you talking about?" Kim demanded, unable to see her own neck.

"You have absorbed the amulet that was to be rightfully mine!" Fiske snarled. He took a threatening step towards her, only to halt when both Kim and Ron assumed fighting stances. His monkey minions were, for the most part, still either incapacitated or injured in some way. The odds had shifted in Team Possible's favor. Moments later, a door flew open and a couple of guards stormed in.

"Monkeyfist, just like Kim Possible warned us!" One guard shouted.

"The police should have believed her!" The other replied, pulling out a radio. "I shall contact the police, you apprehend him."

The first guard looked rather reluctant to engage a super-villain, but gamely pulled out a night stick and moved forward to stand with the teens. Fiske was no fool; he knew that with his minions mostly incapable of assisting him, with Stoppable only slightly injured and police on the way, he was in a very bad situation. Furthermore, being caught and incarcerated for only a couple of months could result in death at the hands of the angry spirit.

"Escape plan three!" He shouted at his minions. "Chippy, you are the distraction! Move!"

Fiske scooped up two of the more incapacitated monkeys and sprinted out of the door. When Kim and Ron moved to pursue, Chippy started to bounce from work table to work table, throwing priceless artifacts into the air. Kim, Ron and the guards were forced to catch the breakable and irreplaceable pieces of history while the rest of the monkeys, some of them supporting each other, also made their retreat. Finally, with all of Fiske's forces clear, Chippy escaped via the air duct.

"Okay, I think we can call that one a failure," Kim commented, after the authorities had completed questioning them. "The amulet is gone, I have some sort of tattoo mark, Fiske escaped and you got roughed up."

"On the other hand, Fiske didn't get the ivory elephants or the other valuables he wanted," Ron muttered from behind the ice pack on his face. "Also, the Chinese authorities will believe us in the future when we say that Fiske is going to try to rob a museum."

"Okay, maybe a draw," Kim grumbled. "Any news about the amulet and what it did to me?" She asked Wade.

"Still working on things," he told her. "I have your ride set up. You'll fly commercial to Taiwan, then catch a military jet to Hawaii, then a private jet. You'll have to..."

"Please don't say it," Ron interrupted.

"Parachute over Middleton," Wade told them. "You should be back in about fourteen more hours. Sometime about four P.M. on Saturday...local time. By then, I should have a better idea about what's going on with the amulet."

"Just do your best, Wade," Kim sounded weary. "As always, you rock."

"What's wrong, KP?" Ron asked, as they walked out of the museum.

"I just feel tired," she told him. "And itchy."

"Okay, TMI."

The series of flights back home started normally enough. Wade had obtained their school assignments and forwarded them via the Kimmunicator. The teens concentrated on schoolwork, although Kim seemed considerably more tired than normal. Another benefit of having a youthful genius as support was that he knew other geniuses...mostly bored geniuses. Whenever one of the two teens had difficulty with a subject, they could call Wade and even if he didn't have the answers for them, he could find someone who would clue them onto the correct path. Halfway between Taiwan and Hawaii, they finished their school assignments and decided that napping was in order. It was when they woke up before landing on the island that the real gravity of what was happening became apparent.

Kim woke to a heavy uni-brow and monkey hands and feet. When she shrieked in horror, an act that not only woke Ron but caused him to hit his head on the overhead bulkhead, she shrieked like an irate simian. Looking at her, Ron saw, and was unable to prevent commenting about, her overly developed canine teeth. Fortunately for Kim's dignity, they weren't at a commercial airport and were able to find a corner of the general aviation terminal with a little privacy to call Wade.

"Bad news," he told them. "The amulet is a magic device that turns whomever uses it into a monkey king."

"Wait a minute!" Kim protested. "How many people in that museum handled the amulet? Some of them had to have put it on, just for the sake of it! Why didn't it vanish and turn them into a monkey king?"

"According to the legends, the amulet must contact either blood, or a part of the body where the tissues are thin and the body is made to interact with the outside world." Wade told her. "According to your story, you had taken a slight wound during the fight. The amulet reacted to your blood and merged with you."

"How do we go about unmerging?" Kim demanded. "I'm so not wanting to be a monkey, especially with a cheer competition coming up."

"Well, upon the monkey king's death, the amulet re-assembles itself for the next recipient," Wade told her.

"Not an option in this case," Kim insisted.

"Okay, we could try science," Wade told her. "I'll send a Wadebot to your home and ask for a hair sample. I might be able to come up with a way of separating your DNA from the merged DNA you now possess."

"I caught a 'might' in that statement," Kim noted. "What if you can't."

"Then we're back to mysticism," Wade told her. "And again, we might be in luck. When that medallion merged with you, you said that a yellow light struck you and you were lifted into the air. Sound familiar?"

"Just like when I was exposed to the Mystical Monkey Power," Ron chimed in. "What's the amulet supposed to do, anyway?"

"Slight enhancement to strength and agility," Wade told them. "Increased life span and a major upgrade to reasoning ability. Important things for a ruler."

"Where were you going when you said that we might be in luck?" Kim asked.

"The amulet didn't give you Mystical Monkey Power," Wade told her. "But it was created with Mystical Monkey Power. There's a good chance than Mystical Monkey Power will be able to reverse the effects, if science doesn't work. I think we can talk Ron into helping."

"The Ron-man is here to serve," the blonde announced.

"Good to hear," Wade said. "Your next ride will be there in twenty. You'll be back home in a few more hours."

The two teens looked at each other. This could be their most difficult mission yet.

* * *

It was good to be home, if only for a short time. Lord Fiske looked at his tracking program again. To the best of his knowledge, the spirit should still be in India, still somewhat east of Calcutta and traveling to the north and west. There would be several weeks before it would reach his castle again and he would be long gone before it arrived. Next, he looked over his estate's financial transactions and was considerably less pleased.

"Chippy," he called his primary servant to his side. "Why do you keep purchasing so many golf balls?"

He listened to the squeaky response.

"You must be joking!" He was incredulous. "You are monkey ninjas! I have trained you to seek out and eliminate powerful opponents and perform the most delicate acts of covert surveillance and you cannot regularly find your golf balls?"

More squeaks answered him.

"Excuses!" He snarled. "Mere excuses. If you cannot curb your spending, I will! I am perfectly capable of handling the estate finances remotely and halving your banana allotment! Either curb the estate spending or I will."

Chippy responded with a single, apologetic squeak and a contrite expression.

"Very well, I shall expect you to correct your behavior." Fiske nodded. "Now, it is just about tea time, so gather the ninjas. It has been too long since I have gathered all of my minions in one place. I look forward to the reunion."

Chippy emitted an energetic, yet obedient chirp and scrambled to comply with her orders. Lord Fiske spent several minutes on line, arranging transportation for himself and several service animals to Middleton, Colorado. Afterwards, he arranged for lodging at the Middleton Motor Lodge. Satisfied with his preparations, he straightened his attire and made his way to the great hall, looking every inch the distinguished, English Nobleman prepared to sit at the head of his table. His bearing slumped when he arrived at the great hall to find it empty.

"Chippy!" He roared. "What is the meaning of this?"

After a few minutes, the aforementioned monkey rushed into the hall. Instead of wearing ninja garb, she wore short pants, an argyle sweater and a cap with a pompom on it.

"Where is everybody?" He demanded of her.

She chittered in response, pointing towards the front door.

"Why is everyone out on the first green?" He asked.

More chitters answered him.

"I did not say that it was almost tee time," he snarled at his minion. "I said that it was almost tea time! Can you not understand simple English?"

Before Chippy could answer, a chorus of monkey shrieks, that sounded suspiciously like 'fore', could be heard from outside the mansion. Seconds later, Fiske heard the unmistakable sound of another of his large, ornate and expensive windows shattering, followed by the sound of a golf ball bouncing on a stone floor somewhere above him.

"You will gather all of your fellows," he instructed his monkey. "You will bring them all back to the mansion and change into your ninja garb. After this, you will prepare a proper tea and gather everyone in the great hall to serve it. I will preside over my subjects as a proper nobleman, with the respect I am due! Now, move!"

Chippy scrambled to comply while Fiske walked upstairs to see how much damage had been done to his mansion. He discovered that the broken window was in a spare bedroom and that only a single pane of glass had been broken. It could have been worse. He spent the next half-hour wandering through his mansion, despairing over the number of new glass panes present. Shaking his head at the cost, he returned to the great hall to find most of the seats occupied by his ninja monkeys and several of the small primates bringing in plates of biscuits, finger sandwiches and pots of tea. Fiske took his place at the head table and allowed his minions, and himself, time to enjoy their repast.

"Before I address more urgent matters," he addressed them, once he had finished. "I will tell you all, that as of this moment, there will be no more golf played on my estate!"

A chorus of squeaking dismay echoed through the hall.

"You have inflicted more than enough damage and expense upon my property!" He roared, silencing the protest. "There will be no more! Do you understand me?"

A chorus of subdued, chagrined chitters answered.

"Very well," Fiske nodded at them. "On to more important matters. You have failed me. You have failed to maintain my estate and those who accompanied me to Beijing failed to deal with the pretender. I am now forced to involve myself even further in this affair. Tomorrow, Chippy and the three most capable of you will accompany me to the United States. We will obtain the power held within the Amulet of the Monkey King for me, as I deserve. If those who accompany me fail again, the consequences will be dire."

The monkeys looked at each other nervously.

"You have been warned," he concluded. "Select the best among you and prepare yourselves. We catch a cab for London at five thirty tomorrow morning. Now attend to your duties...AND NO MORE GOLF!"

The monkeys scattered, save for a couple who busied themselves gathering up the dishes and cups. Chippy also remained behind, offering her master a pensive look.

"What is it?" He demanded.

Her squeaking reply was very nervous.

"What if this venture fails?" He asked, incredulously. "I will not fail! A master of Tai Shen Pek Kwar does not accept failure!"

She chittered again, still nervous. Fiske's offended glare softened slightly.

"Perhaps you make a good point," he conceded "A ninja always has a backup plan. Even when I succeed and become the Monkey King, there is a chance that my power and authority will not be sufficient to deter the spirit currently pursuing me. Follow me."

Fiske led the way down to a spiraling stairway, where he picked up and lit a lantern. He then led the way down the stairs.

"I store the most sensitive, magical secrets down here," he told his minion, as they descended. "I do not allow any technology to intrude down here, to make sure that the magic properties of these writings and other artifacts is not compromised. As you know, I do not even allow you, my faithful minions, access to the chambers we are about to visit."

At the bottom of the stairs, he reached a door, where glowing glyphs shone dully in the dim light. The touched the glyphs in a specific order. The door opened in response.

"I will collect scrolls detailing how to obtain a powerful weapon...WHOAAA!"

Fiske's lecture was interrupted by his undignified yell, which had been brought on by the floor seeming to shoot out from under his feet. He was agile and quick, possessed of a natural balance that was enhanced by years of both adventuring and martial arts studies, but every time he tried to put a foot onto the ground, it met something round and hard that rolled away, leaving him flailing again.

The lantern flew from his hands as he tried to keep his feet underneath him. Even a master of kung fu has a limited ability to stay on his feet when the surface beneath him is determined to roll out from under him and Fiske eventually succumbed to the laws of physics. He landed, hard, on his back, several of the small, round objects digging painfully into his kidneys.

"Chippy," he addressed his minion, who had managed to catch the lantern. "I believe that I have solved the mystery of the missing golf balls. It would seem that some ancient drain or sinkhole has been directing them to this level."

He got slowly to his feet while his minion chittered a question at him.

"No, no need to remove them," he reclaimed the lantern and resumed his journey, shuffling his feet to nudge the small bits of sporting equipment out of his path. "They make an excellent supplementary trap, don't you think?"

The monkey had no answer for him and simply followed her master along a dark, stone passage to yet another glyphed door. Fiske again touched the glyphs in the proper sequence.

While the passage had been cold and dank, the room behind the door was cool and dry, lit by strange, mystic energies. Several ornate, wooden latices held scrolls. After examining them for several minutes, Fiske found the one he wanted.

"This scroll is the key," he told the monkey. "If the power of the Monkey King does not allow me to eliminate my pursuer or, unthinkable as it is, I fail to obtain such power from the cheerleader, this is my next step. I shall set out upon a quest to obtain the legendary, mystical weapon known as the Han."

* * *

 _A/N: Thanks again to Joe Stoppinghem for beta and some dialog help._


	4. Chapter 4

"This is so not turning into a good Saturday," Kim told Wade, from the sanctuary of her room. "Ron had to run interference for me to get me past the tweebs and the 'rents."

"Has it gotten any worse?" Wade asked.

"I have a tail!" She told him. "A tail! Do you know what that does to pants? It pulls them down! I had to cut a hole in a pair of perfectly good pants or risk mooning people!"

"Uh, Kim," Wade replied. "If you're staying in your room, does it really matter all that much?"

"You know my life, Wade," she snapped back. "You never know when I'm going to have to go somewhere! Now, what about a cure for this?"

"Still working on it," Wade told her. "I have a sample of your unaltered DNA but genetics is a rather complicated issue."

"Any sort of a timeline for me to work with?" She asked, a note of pleading in her voice.

"It will take me at least four more hours to set up a sequencer to extract the amulet from your DNA," he told her. "If that doesn't work, we'll have to fall back on making use of Ron's Mystical Monkey Power. By the way, where is he?"

"He made a Bueno Nacho to-go run for me, then I chased him off to take Tara on a date," she told her friend.

"A date?" Wade looked confused. "Isn't this sort of dire circumstances for that sort of thing?"

"It's cover," Kim told the youth. "I don't want anybody to know that I'm a monkey. If Ron takes Tara out on a date, nobody is going to suspect that anything's wrong with me."

"But what if you need him for something in the meantime?" Wade asked.

"I'll just have to deal," she told him. "I'm planning on staying safe in this room until you come up with the cure."

"Good plan," Wade agreed. "Now, just relax and let me do my job. Wade out."

Kim sighed and looked in the mirror. Being a monkey was a nightmare, but she had to admit that her hair had never looked quite so lustrous or full-bodied. She absently pulled out her brush and started to work out the snarls. If possible, she would have to see if she could keep the hair benefits after being returned to human.

* * *

"Very well, Lord Fiske, we have you booked in your luxury suite for a full week, with the option to extend. How long do you think you'll be staying?" The desk clerk asked his newest guest.

"Until I get what I came to obtain," the nobleman grumbled. "Will I have access to the gym and sauna?"

"To the exclusive facilities!" The clerk assured his guest. "We retain an excellent gym for the use of our luxury suite guests. As occupancy of the luxury suites is down at the moment, you'll have plenty of very exclusive time!"

"Is there a stereo available?" Fiske asked the man.

"An excellent one," the clerk assured him.

"Very good," Fiske murmured. "I like to turn up the music so nobody can overhear my business."

The clerk looked at the four monkeys carrying the nobleman's bags through the lobby.

"You know, Lord Fiske, we have a policy of no pets," he began, but went silent when he four monkeys and a nobleman gave him threatening looks. "But perhaps we can consider them service animals?"

"They provide excellent service...at times," Fiske told the man.

Once they were settled into the suite of rooms, Fiske handed each of his monkeys a small headset and map.

"You will go to the Possible home," he told them. "But remain at least one block away. I will not have you setting off any of that abominably clever boy's security devices. You will watch. Kim Possible will eventually need to leave her home. When that happens, you will follow her and report to me. We will bring her back here and I will obtain the power of the Monkey King."

* * *

"Kimmie, we're having ice cream, do you want to join us?" Kim jumped up from her bed. The last time her mother had invited her to join the rest of the family for ice cream and she had declined, the brain surgeon had come into her room, sensing that her daughter needed to talk about something. While her talk about her crush on Josh had been welcome at the time, speaking to her mother wouldn't be a very good idea just now. Kim grabbed her Kimmunicator and coat and made her exit via the window.

"Wade, my mom's coming up to my room," she gasped into the device, swinging the window shut as far as she could. "Be ready to claim a mission came up! I can't let her see me like this!"

Kim walked to the edge of the roof, out of sight of the window. She held her breath and sure enough, after a few minutes more light emerged from the window, informing her that someone had opened her door. Seconds later, still more light emerged, telling her that someone had turned on her lights. The light projected a shadow on the trees outside the house, telling Kim that someone was in her room. Then came the click of her window being locked, her lights were turned off, then her door was closed. Kim waited a couple more minutes before approaching her window. Sure enough, her window was now locked.

"I need some help, Wade," she spoke into the Kimmunicator. "Mom came in my room, saw I wasn't there and locked my window."

"I can get Ron to run interference for you," Wade suggested.

"No good," she told him. "If mom thinks I'm back in my room, she's going to want to talk to me again. I need someplace to lay low while you come up with the cure."

"The Stoppables are out tonight," Wade reported. "Why don't I get Ron to let you in? I'm sure he won't mind if you take the guest room for awhile and you can keep Rufus company."

"Sounds like the best plan we can come up with on short notice," Kim agreed. "I'll head that way and meet him there. I'm sure Tara is going to come with him and this could get awkward."

"Calling him now," Wade told her.

Kim jumped from the roof to one of the nearby trees and climbed down it much easier than she ever had before.

" _There just might be something said for having a tail,_ " she mused.

She took a few moments to compose herself. With her hood up and her tail tucked under her coat, nobody could see that she wasn't a basic, average girl...at least in the dim light. Satisfied that she wasn't going to be the cause of any monster rumors, she set her course for the Stoppable home. It was hard to resist the temptation to walk on her feet and knuckles, but she was determined to be a girl and not a monkey.

She took her time, taking a roundabout route, knowing the Ron would have a longer walk than her and not wanting to look suspicious by simply loitering by the Stoppable Home. The crisp, cold air actually cleared her head, making her feel more energetic. They'd get through this, she was sure. They'd return her to normal and everything would be fine again. Just as she came to this conclusion, as small body jumped on her back.

Even though she was caught somewhere between being a monkey and a girl, Kim Possible as still Kim Possible. Without a moment's hesitation, she threw the assailant off of her back and spun a full 360, looking for more attackers. She saw her first assailant, a monkey, regaining its feet while another closed on her from her left. She turned and kicked the oncoming primate, just to be tackled by another from her back and from her other side. Even as she was driven to the snow-covered ground, she had to admire her attackers. They weren't some sort of cartoon henchmen who attacked one at a time. They had carefully set up a situation where they could swarm her at once.

She elbowed one of the assailants away from her and almost got back to her feet when Monkeyfist himself tackled her. Fiske was larger and stronger than her, which gave him a huge advantage in a grappling struggle. When the monkeys rejoined the fray, she was unable to win. A gag was forced over her mouth and a bag shoved over her head. Her arms were restrained behind her and she felt herself shoved into a car and driven away to an unknown destination.

* * *

Tara was having a wonderful time. Her boyfriend...and it felt good to be able to refer to Ron with that term...had felt guilty for not taking her to a fancy dinner and maybe a movie. Tara wasn't one to demand that a guy try to impress her; if she liked him, she liked him and she definitely liked Ron. When Ron showed up to pick her up for their date, after having just returned from China, she had taken one look at his black eye and swollen lip and suggested they stay in, watch a movie and snuggle. He had countered with an offer of dinner and a movie. They had compromised with a light meal at a bistro followed by ice skating.

Performing a twirl, she almost laughed. The first time they had gone ice skating, Ron had asked her to keep him upright. While he wasn't an experienced skater, he was agile and had excellent balance. Sure, he wasn't up to twirls and leaps but he was an excellent skater. They were having a great time together! She was about to suggest they call it quits on the skating, as she was looking forward to a little snuggle time, when his phone rang.

"Hey Wade, what's up?" He answered the call. "What...my house...ah, got it! Okay."

He looked at her with an amused smile. "Rufus got a little lonely and emailed Wade. Kim will keep him company but she needs me to unlock my house."

"It was getting about time for us to leave anyway," Tara told him. "Your house is fairly close to the way to mine, so it shouldn't be any problem."

It only took a few minutes for the young couple to change out of their skates and into boots. Ron pulled a blanket out of the backpack he had brought along and they were soon walking towards his house, a thick blanket covering them as they kept very close together. Somehow, Tara wished the walk could last longer, allowing them more unsupervised time together. When they got to Ron's place, there was no sign of Kim.

"Hey Wade, Kim isn't here," Ron called his young friend. "Any idea on an ETA? Oh? Just a couple blocks away? Stay on the line, I'll check it out."

Kim's Kimmunicator is only two blocks away," Ron told his girlfriend. "And it hasn't moved for several minutes. I'm going to check it out, would you like to wait inside?"

"No, I'm coming along," Tara told him.

Ron looked uneasy, but agreed.

Two blocks away, they found an area where the new snow had been trampled. Wade activated the device and they were able to find it under some packed snow. Ron circled the area, looking for clues when his face suddenly went pale.

"I've found monkey footprints heading into the area where the snow was all trampled," he reported. "It looks like there was a fight and Kim's gone now!"

"Okay, let me do a search...I can't believe I missed this! Fiske checked into the Middleton Motor Lodge earlier today! He rented a car and it's tracker shows that it recently left the lodge, went to your location then returned to the lodge! I can have a ride to you in ten."

"Send it to my house," Ron told him, grabbing Tara's hand. "I need to pick up Rufus and I can leave Tara there."

"You're not leaving me behind!" Tara insisted. "You back Kim up, I can back you up!"

"Tara, this is dangerous!" He insisted

"All the more reason to not go alone," she told him. "That villain captured Kim! Do you think you can handle him alone?"

"Tara, be reasonable," he begged.

"At the least, I can hang back and call 911!" She told him.

"That's actually a pretty good idea," Wade interrupted. "We don't have enough evidence to send the police into the lodge, but I could probably talk Officer Hobble into being close by. If Tara goes with you, she can hold the Kimmunicator and let me see what's going on."

"Okay," Ron conceded. "But at the first sign of trouble, run!"

Tara nodded. The two hurried back to Ron's house, picked up the naked mole rat and waited for their ride.

* * *

A car door opened and she was carried roughly through cold air and then into a warmer environment. She was sat upon a narrow seat with hard cushions. Despite her struggles, her feet were tie-wrapped to strong metal bars. Her hands were then released but held by strong hands, large and small, before also being tie-wrapped to strong metal supports. It was only after she was firmly restrained that the bag was yanked from her head.

"Welcome to the Middleton Motor Lodge," Fiske's voice told her. "I fear I won't wish you a pleasant stay."

She blinked against the glaring light, trying to see. The Englishman was patient, waiting until she could determine that she was seated on a strong weight machine.

"I'm afraid that I cannot remove your gag at this time," he sneered at her. "You see, what I must do to claim my rightful power as the Monkey King is going to be time consuming and rather painful for you. While my faithful monkeys have been positioned around this facility to insure nobody interrupts, it would be best to take further precautions to avoid any outside attention."

"Better for me, that is" His smile was absolutely horrific.

Kim could only glare at him while discretely working her tail out from under her coat.

"Ah, the defiant stare," Fiske saluted her in mock admiration. "On could almost consider you a worthy adversary, rather than a simple obstruction. However, I am not without honor. You are ignorant as to the nature of the amulet, so it seems only right that I should tell you why you are about to suffer such pain. After all, it is the duty of the wise to instruct the ignorant; and I will grant you that, you are ignorant and not foolish."

"You see, the magic within the amulet is designed to alter the recipient, to make them something else. The amulet does so by dispersing throughout the body. Well, those who created this amulet in the deep dark past realized that they couldn't simply make an amulet that would adsorb itself into anyone that touched it, they had to place restrictions upon how it became part of the candidate. Their answer was simple, straightforward and sensible; it can only adsorb itself into a recipient through weak points in the body's barrier to the outside world."

Now, he produced a knife. Kim stared in rapt attention.

"Think about that, Kimberly," he continued the lecture. "Your body has weak points in its defenses, where your body must react with the outside world. Your eyes."

He gestured towards her eyes with his blade.

"Your mouth and nose," again a gesture.

"You'll forgive me if I am too much the gentlemen to discuss other such points."

"Now, the ancient monkey kings understood that the amulet's effects had to spread throughout the body to become complete, so they did what you inadvertently did back in Beijing; they would cut themselves and place the amulet upon the wound. The amulet would adsorb itself into their blood and quickly disperse itself through their bodies. However, there is yet another catch, this magic is drawn to all things simian."

"You see, Kimberly, the ancients realized that they didn't always choose a good candidate to be the Monkey King," he continued. "And even the influence of the amulet was not enough to turn a fool into a wise man. Therefore, those who created the amulet realized that they had to have a way to pull the amulet from the fiber of the unworthy. In ancient times, they would sacrifice a monkey to accomplish this." His face grew dark at that statement. "They would cut a wound in the unworthy king and cut a wound in the unfortunate monkey. They would then lash the monkey to the former king, wound to wound. After a half day or so, the amulet's essence would transfer from the man to the monkey. They would then slay the monkey. After another day, the amulet could be found in the poor simian's body, free to be bestowed upon a more worthy individual."

"I am not about to sacrifice one of my monkeys for this," Fiske told her. "Neither do I have the time to accomplish this method. Instead, I have access to a faster method. As I have Mystical Monkey Power, the amulet's magic will be drawn to me. Rather than utilize blood to blood contact, my digestive tract will be faster, as it is designed to take in matter from outside my body."

As Kim's eyes grew wide with terror, his smile grew wider with triumph. "Yes, Kimberly, the fastest method for me to remove the magic from you and obtain it for myself is to consume your fresh blood. I'm afraid that it will leave you dead, but sacrifices must be made and if they're made by the unworthy, so much the better."

He stepped away from her and turned on a stereo. Classical music sounded loud in the gym as he returned to where she sat, restrained. He slashed at her wrist with the knife, but she caught the hand with her tail.

"Very clever, Kimberly," he laughed at her. He seized her tail with one hand, and slashed again. This time, the knife bit deep and blood spurted. His mouth descended onto the wound.

The feel of his mouth upon her skin, drinking her very blood, disgusted her. She tried to scream in pain and outrage, but the gag robbed the expression of most of its volume, and the music overwhelmed what little sound she managed.

* * *

"Fiske's key card was used to open the VIP gym," Wade reported, via the Kimmunicator as they jumped out of their ride. "I have the Kimmunicator's light emitter programmed to emulate a VIP card. You only have to point at the card readers."

"Right," Ron answered. "Tell us where to go."

Wade guided them through the lobby and to the VIP wing. Halfway down the wing, a monkey burst from a room and rushed the two blondes. Ron surged forward and caught the oncoming simian in the belly with a kick. Before it could recover, he elbowed it on the side of the head, stunning it before grabbing its head with both hands and smashing his knee into its face. He was now sprinting down the hall when he met another. This one was faster, jumping onto him before he could strike. It clawed at his face but he got a hand on top of its head, digging his fingers into its eyes and pulling it off of him. He pounded it into submission as Tara looked on, horrified.

Now a third monkey jumped on him from behind, arms and tail wrapped around his throat. He threw himself backwards, bringing his weight down on the smaller primate. Its grip loosened and he grabbed its tail and swung the creature around twice and smashed it onto the floor. When it staggered to its feet, he kicked it in the head. Ron ran down the hallway and turned a corner. Ahead, another monkey stood guard at a door. Seeing Ron charging, it shrieked and came after the blonde. Ron threw himself at it in a flying tackle, planting a shoulder in the creature's stomach and driving it to the ground with his greater mass. While it was winded, he pinned one of its arms to the ground with one foot, pinned the other arm with one hand, and pounded it in the face five times, until it stopped struggling.

He jumped to the gym door and looked through the glass, horrified, angered and sickened by what he saw.

"Wade, we need the police!" He snarled into the Kimmunicator. He tossed Rufus to Tara and played the Kimmunicator's output on the card reader, opening the door and being assaulted by the sound of loud, classical music.

"Tara, follow me, free Kim and get out of here," he told his girlfriend. She could barely nod as he handed her the Kimmunicator and rushed inside.

He caught a couple of breaks; Fiske was so intent on his victim and the music was so loud that the villain didn't realize he was under attack until Ron collided with him, driving a knee into the monkey man's back. Blood flew from his mouth, spraying over Kim as Ron bore him to the ground. The blonde boy managed to get in several hard shots to the villain's head before Fiske threw him off. Ron got to his feet and the two hammered away at each other.

Tara was horrified when she reached Kim; blood splattered her, she looked like an ape and there was a horrific wound on her left wrist. Tara didn't have any tools to cut the tie wraps restraining her friend, but Rufus came through, biting through them while Kim used her tail to slow the bleeding. It seemed to take forever, but it was only a minute or two before Kim Possible was free. Unfortunately, she was in no condition to fight.

Despite being initially battered, Fiske was still more than a match for the pretender. Fiske deflected the latest of Ron's punches and drove a knee into the blonde's belly, staggering him back to slump against a wall. He spun to see Kim Possible, partially supported by a blonde girl, staggering out of the gym. He only managed two steps in pursuit before Ron tackled him from behind, once again. He expected the boy to beg for mercy or scream in terror, but the lad yelled at the two young women to flee. Fiske turned on the pretender, swatted the boy's arm away from his face, accepted a painful blow to his belly and landed two more devastating shots to the pretender's head. Ron Stoppable slumped to the floor.

For a moment, the Englishman contemplated finishing the pretender, once and for all but he realized that his true quarry was escaping. Snarling in frustration, he drove one more kick into the boy's ribs and rushed into the hallway, to see the retreating forms of Possible and the blonde, fleeing past his stunned minions. Once more, he lurched in pursuit to be dropped by a sharp blow to his knee.

He looked around and saw Stoppable, somehow on his feet again. The blonde boy couldn't stand on his own, one hand was on the wall as he tried to get closer to his foe. Fiske shook his head, was it irritation or admiration he felt as he lashed his foot up, catching the teen on the chin and dropping him in a heap? The would-be Monkey King got to his feet again, even as Chippy also heaved herself upright. He had to limp, but he lurched in pursuit of Possible and the power she held in her very tissues. Chippy preceded him.

* * *

Officer Hobble was thankful he had taken the hint to patrol in the area of the Middleton Motor Lodge. When the emergency call came over the radio, he was quickly in position. He had just climbed out of his cruiser when the front door opened allowing Kim Possible, assisted by a blonde teenage girl, to flee from the building. The seasoned police officer only had a moment to grasp the fact that the teen heroine was covered with fur and blood when a monkey, in some sort of martial arts garb, burst out of the door in pursuit of the girls.

"Halt!" Hobble roared, in his most authoritative voice. The monkey didn't stop, so the policeman pulled out his taser with one hand and his billy club with his other.

"Halt!" He roared again. Instead of stopping or fleeing, the monkey turned towards him and charged.

Officer Hobble had no way of knowing how dangerous the trained monkey actually was. He also had no way of knowing that she was exhausted and wounded, not at full capability. He only knew that the jolt of his taser dropped the charging simian like a stone.

Lord Montgomery Fiske reached the door in time to see the policeman incapacitate his most capable minion. For a moment, thoughts of revenge filled his mind but logic took hold. He was wounded and slowed and the officer now pulled a pistol from his belt, pointing it skyward but keeping it ready. Even under the best circumstances, martial arts training only went so far when faced with modern weaponry. Fiske studied him for a moment and noted that he was speaking into a microphone, clearly summoning additional, armed men.

The mission had been a failure, Fiske concluded. Possible and the power of the amulet were out of his immediate reach. He didn't even dare take the time to complete his revenge on Stoppable. He took some solace in the fact that Chippy, the true ninja, had made sure he had a backup escape route ready. The Englishman turned and limped back to his room, his other three monkeys joining him en-route. Once there, he grabbed his getaway bag, full of essentials, and climbed out of the window. A hundred meters down the wooded hillside, he located the motorcycle he had left here earlier. As more police vehicles converged on the motor lodge, Montgomery Fiske started the motorcycle. One monkey clambered into each of his side bags and another jumped on the seat behind him. Monkeyfist set his course down a narrow, gravel road, away from the increasing turmoil behind him.

* * *

 _A/N: Again, thanks for reading and thanks to Joe Stoppinghem for beta-ing and for some dialog suggestions._

 _Until my next chapter, best wishes,_

 _daccu65_


	5. Chapter 5

"Wade, am I to understand that my daughter is going to remain a monkey for the rest of her life?" Dr. James Timothy Possible was shocked and dismayed. The only thing worse, in his opinion, was his daughter dating boys.

"I think we can take care of that," Wade told him.

Both of the Doctors Possible, Kim and Ron were sitting in the Possible Den. Dr. James had just driven Ron and Tara to the King Residence, to deliver a still shook up blonde cheerleader to her parents. The tweebs were in bed and hopefully didn't have any cameras hacked to later learn that their older sister was a monkey.

"Fiske's remarks to Kim both confirm and expand upon the legends I've been reviewing," Wade continued. "We can make use of Ron's Mystical Monkey Power."

"Uh, Wade?" Ron interrupted. "My dietary prejudices aside, consuming Kim's blood is going to leave her dead...I don't think that's an acceptable outcome!"

"That isn't necessary," Wade told him. "The two of you have the same blood type and I've confirmed Fiske's statement about the past use of a monkey to draw out the magic. Instead of wounds to both of you, we can make use of modern technology and use you as ...well...as a dialysis machine for Kim. Your Mystical Monkey Power will draw the magic into you."

"Wade," Mrs. Dr. Possible interrupted. "Won't that leave Ron as a monkey?"

"There's where we can make use of my technology," Wade told her. "I could have separated the medallion from Kim if I could have gotten to her within twenty four hours of her initial exposure. I have samples of Ron's DNA right now. I calculate that it will take less than five hours of a dialysis connection for Ron to take on the magic. After that, I can separate the amulet from Ron."

"It seems the best chance," Kim stated. "Assuming that Ron is willing."

"No need to ask," he replied.

"Okay, I've arranged for an unused room in the medical center," Wade told them. "I'm arranging for the proper equipment at this time. We can start tomorrow morning."

It was a nervous night in the Possible household, partly because the adults insisted that Ron stay the night after the beating he had taken. Bright, early and before the twins were awake, Mrs. Dr. Possible took the two teens to the medical center while her husband stayed at home to make sure his sons didn't cause too much mayhem. The brain surgeon was a little disturbed to learn just how much Wade could manipulate operations at the medical center, but she wasn't about to complain at the moment. Two patient beds, with all the equipment needed, were waiting in an unused patient room.

In order to protect her daughter's privacy, Anne Possible personally connected the two teens to blood exchange equipment. Soon, the machines were filtering Kim's blood through Ron, using him as a dialysis filter. They watched television, trying not to think about what was happening to them at the moment. Now that she had some time to think, Kim called Wade.

"How will we know this is working?" She asked. "Will I become slowly less monkey? Will Ron get hit with the yellow light? Is it possible that we'll both wind up half monkey?"

"According to legends, it's an all or nothing kind of thing," Wade told her. "Once Ron's body filters enough of the magic, it will all transfer to him. Using the dialysis machines should speed things along."

"But how will we tell?" Kim repeated.

"Ron should get a monkey symbol near his feed tube. Once that happens, you'll return to normal." The boy rubbed the back of his head. "I haven't been able to find out how long that will take after the magic transfers."

"Or if it's painful?" Kim asked.

"I didn't think of checking," Wade admitted. "I'll get on that next."

The two teens exchanged a guarded look; this little episode could turn out to be more interesting than they had foreseen.

Mrs. Dr. Possible continued to check on them, on and off, during the morning. At about mid-morning, Tara showed up. The bubbly blonde knew her boyfriend's dining habits and had brought several muffins for the two teens. Both Kim and Ron were as grateful for the company as for the treats...Ron somewhat more so than Kim. Of course, that didn't keep Kim from having a little fun at their expense.

"Do that again," Kim told Tara, when the blonde cheerleader kissed her boyfriend.

Both Tara and Ron looked at her, curiously.

"When you kiss him, it releases a bunch of endorphins into his bloodstream," Kim explained. "I'm getting them, and they're making me very happy."

Both blondes got a snort of laughter out of that one and the two patients dug into the treats...after Tara kissed Ron again.

"I'm sorry for your blood sugar level," Ron told the redhead. "But these muffins are so good, I just have to have a second."

"I'll meet your sugar intake with caffeine," Kim countered. She took a healthy sip of dark coffee.

"By the way, Wade," Ron asked the Kimmunicator. It was a testament to Tara's influence that he actually swallowed his mouthful of muffin before speaking. "Just what could have been done if Kim and I didn't have the same blood type?"

"There would have been other options," Wade answered. "Any contact where the body's tissues are thinner, where the body is designed to interact with the outside world would have worked...but it would have taken longer. For example, several hours of mouth-on-mouth contact would have worked."

"Eeeew!" Kim protested. "I would have had to make out with Ron?"

"I _have_ survived it," Tara commented, giving Kim a hard look. Ron looked slightly offended, as well.

"That's not what I meant..." Kim protested, only to be interrupted by her blonde friend.

"I've even _enjoyed_ it," Tara continued, still glaring at the redhead.

"Tara, what I meant was..."

"After having survived it and enjoyed it, I've even _insisted_ on more of it!" Tara concluded.

"Tara! Do you want me to look forward to making out with your boyfriend?" Kim demanded, getting a little irate with the lecture.

"No!" Tara told her. "But I don't like anyone dissing him." She took Ron's free hand in both of hers.

"I didn't mean it that way!" Kim told her. "We've been friends so long, he's kind of like a brother. That's where the eeeeww came from."

"Oh!" Tara blushed a little. "Sorry, I didn't understand."

Tara decided to deal with the slightly awkward moment by kissing Ron again. Kim smiled at the two.

" _Yep_ ," she thought. " _Definitely endorphins coming through the blood flow_."

For his part, Wade was glad for the interruption and the fact that nobody seemed to want him to continue his lecture. There was another type of contact that would have resulted in the magic displacing and if the thought of kissing had caused this much conflict, discussing _that_ contact would have been even more aggravating.

"I'd like to change the channel," Kim told the other two, even though they weren't paying a whole lot of attention to her. She picked up the remote and gasped. The two blondes weren't so distracted that they failed to notice the expression.

All three stared at Kim's hand, which was now a normal, human hand.

"I'll get Dr. Possible," Tara offered, leaving the room to go to the good doctor's office.

Kim quickly called Wade.

"It must be working," he told her. "But if it isn't too uncomfortable, continue with the procedure for the moment."

"What am I checking for, Wade?" Dr. Anne Possible called out, as she entered the room. "I'm a medical doctor and we're dealing with the supernatural."

"Please check the area around Ron's feed," Wade requested.

Dr. Possible pulled the blanket away from Ron's arm, pleased that Wade was being respectful towards her.

"It appears that he has acquired a monkey tattoo here," she reported.

"Excellent!" Wade smiled from the Kimmunicator. "Next, please run a brush through Kim's...well...fur. Not the hair on her head."

"I'll take care of that," Tara offered. The blonde ran a hair brush down the back of Kim's neck. Almost all of the fur came out, leaving a hairless neck.

"That is so the relief," Kim remarked. "Tonight, I'm going to be indulging in a major, all-over brushing!"

"TMI," Ron protested.

"I believe that this procedure is done," Wade told everyone. "Dr. Possible, if you could be so kind as to remove the two from the machines, I will then proceed with the next phase."

Tara pitched in to help Dr. Possible disconnect the two teens from the machines. Anne was impressed; she thought the blonde girl would be squeamish, but she didn't bat an eye while she was working. Soon, Kim was free to step into the room's lavatory and change into her normal clothing.

"My tail's gone!" She announced, as she emerged from the bathroom. It was clear that she had taken the opportunity to scrub her face, as all that fur was now gone. She now looked like...Kim.

"Okay, last procedure." Wade announced. "Kim, please point the Kimmunicator at Ron."

"Wait a minute!" Ron protested. "Is this going to hurt?"

"I won't feel a thing," Wade assured him, then activated his beam.

"That wasn't too bad," Ron commented, patting himself on the chest and stomach.

"The tattoo is gone from your arm," Tara commented.

"So now what?" Kim asked.

"Uh, I'm feeling a little odd," Ron complained. The young man placed a hand on his stomach and grimaced.

"Girls, why don't you find a waiting room somewhere?" Dr. Possible suggested. "Depending on where that amulet has materialized, I may need to get Ron to an emergency room."

"Emergency?" The two teenage girls asked, concerned.

"EMERGENCY?" Ron asked, showing even more concern.

"Girls, go!" Anne instructed them. "I'll take care of this."

Kim and Tara walked out of the room and found the nearest Waiting Room. While Kim was overjoyed to no longer be a monkey, she was more than a little concerned about Ron. There wouldn't be any real celebration until everything was back to normal.

The two girls only waited roughly a half hour before Ron, with an ashen expression on his face, walked in with an unsteady, wide and stiff-legged gait. He said not a word to them but walked to a window and stared out, clearly disturbed. Dr. Anne Possible was right behind him and addressed the girls before they could question the boy.

"Here," the doctor handed her daughter a plastic bag containing the amulet. "This should probably go to the Chinese Embassy. I don't have the number but I think you have it on speed dial."

"It's beautiful," Tara commented, looking at the triangular piece of green stone.

Ron grumbled.

Kim handed the amulet to her blonde friend, it was safe as long as it stayed in the plastic.

"How something so small could have caused so much trouble," she mused

Ron muttered something under his breath.

"And so smooth," she added, lightly touching it through the plastic.

Ron grumbled even louder.

"What happened back there?" Kim asked her mother.

"We didn't need surgery," Anne assured her daughter. "And while it might not have been comfortable, Ron's young and is sure to recover from what happened very soon. Fortunately, the muffins Tara brought had a high bran content and that helped a great deal; even if nobody really wanted to touch the amulet when it first came out. Now, why don't we all get out of here and try to enjoy the rest of the day?"

"Ron, did you..." Tara asked her boyfriend, looking in a sort of amused horror between him and the amulet.

"Please. Don't. Go There." He told her.

"Fine, I'll let it pass," she assured him.

He answered with a scowl.

* * *

Ron politely asked if it would be okay if he just went home and rested. Everyone thought that it would be a good idea. Instead of spending the day with her boyfriend, Tara and Kim had a girls' day out, which both enjoyed immensely. Tara admitted that she was worried about the beating Ron had taken and Kim assured her that while this one was more serious than most, he would bounce back in no time. Ron, however, didn't simply rest when he got home.

"Wade, I need a favor," he told his young friend, speaking over his computer.

"What's up?" Wade listened while taking a heavy draw from his slurpster.

"I need those additional ceremonial katas," Ron told him

"Ron, we discussed this," Wade pointed out. "We're not sure what some of the side effects will be."

"Note serious face," Ron grumbled. "Wade, Kim nearly died and I nearly died. If Monkeyfist didn't have that stereo cranked up, he would have heard me come in the room, handled me then gone back to Kim! If Officer Hobble hadn't been on duty last night, the police wouldn't have arrived in time! He's desperate now! Who knows what he's going to do? I have to be ready to deal with him!"

"Ron, isn't that a reaching a little?" Wade asked. "He's had over two decades of kung-fu training. Of course he's better at it than you are!"

"The one thing I have going for me is that the Mystical Monkey Power seems to like me more than it likes him," Ron pointed out. "That's my edge! That's what I have to concentrate on! If those katas mean it grows stronger in me, it means Kim has a better chance of getting through the next adventure in one piece!"

"But Ron, you're scared of it!" Wade pointed out.

"Maybe it's time for _him_ to be scared of it!" Ron argued.

"Okay, you made a good point," Wade said. "I'm sending you another major ceremonial kata. It's supposed to increase your Tai Shen Pek Kwar skill, but it works better if you have proper training in the form to go along with it."

"I've been thinking of that, as well," Ron told him. "I have an idea, but I need to know if you can have some Wadebots do some construction work."

"Sure, what do you have in mind?"

Ron spent several minutes telling him. While Wade was uneasy, he had to admit that his friend had thought things through pretty well.

"Okay, I'll do it," he agreed. "In the meantime, I can arrange for some lapses in the security at the animal control facility. It'll be easier if you take care of things tonight, during the weekend."

"Understood," Ron told him. "Just be my guide."

The blonde boy got the keys to his mother's car. _"So much for sleeping in in the mornings from now on," he thought._

Once he reached his destination, Wade directed him to the east entrance. As Ron approached the door, it unlocked and allowed him inside. A short walk later and he was near the animal holding area, but out of sight of the attendant. A few minutes later, said attendant took a lavatory break, allowing Ron to enter the holding area unobserved. There, he concentrated on the control he had managed to gain over the Mystical Monkey Power and unlocked a particular cage.

"Do you know me?" He asked the monkey that emerged.

After a moment, the simian nodded.

"Do you know what I am?" He demanded.

The monkey nodded again and bowed.

"Get up," Ron commanded. "I do not have slaves. I will not have minions or servants, but I will have subordinates. What is your name?"

The monkey chittered at him.

"Very well, Chippy, your old master abandoned you to your fate. I'll never do that. You serve me now. Come with me."

Ron led the smaller primate back out of the facility and into his mother's car. The monkey seemed more than a little confused when he insisted that it wear its seat belt. Ron spoke no more until they reached his home.

"You will live here, for the next few days," Ron told the monkey. "My parents will be gone, so there won't be any issues with you being here. By the time they get back, I will have my old tree-house remodeled and improved, with lights and heating. I guess that a monkey will like living in a tree."

The monkey chittered its approval and agreement.

"Your lifestyle won't be as luxurious as you had with Fiske," Ron told his new subordinate. "But I will never use you as canon fodder. I will never blame you for my own mistakes and I will show you the loyalty that you showed Fiske."

The monkey nodded its head.

"Very well, I will tell you your duties," Ron continued. "You are going to teach me Tai Shen Pek Kwar. I know that I'm the ultimate monkey master, the chosen one, but I am not skilled in the art. Monkeyfist trained you and trained you well. You are going to train me. I am going to learn monkey kung-fu from a real monkey."

The small primate tilted its head at the boy.

"In addition, you will observe and correct my kata. More duties may come up, but these will work for now. Let me show you to your room."

After Ron showed Chippy to the guest room, he had the monkey observe the three routines he had already perfected. He then started to work on the latest one Wade had sent, while Chippy watched the computer screen and chittered instructions and corrections at him. Ron didn't have it mastered that night, but he had made some solid progress. That night, for some reason, he slept perfectly well, even though there was a monkey in his house.

The next morning, he woke up early, warmed up and drilled with Chippy. The monkey had great skill but didn't have the strength and body mass to go one-on-one with capable opponents. Ron was actually flattered to realize that he was now in the ranks of the capable. Finished with a morning drill session, he walked to KP's house before walking to school with her. It was good to see her as a girl again, although Ron insisted that she NOT detail the excessive hair removal process. Of course, Tara met them very quickly after they arrived and claimed one of Ron's hands.

To Ron's surprise, he didn't get derided for the bruised up face. While the fact that Kim had been turned into a monkey remained a closely guarded secret, the fact that they had recovered a valuable artifact and faced a powerful villain was common knowledge. Most of their fellow students seemed to think that the two teens had paid the price for stopping the bad guy. Even Bonnie didn't rail on him...her comment about having the mad dog mask on for most of the routine could have been a mild insult or a straightforward comment...it was hard to tell.

Of course, Tara and Ron had to run through their routine again, which meant that Ron had to walk Tara home. This time, he felt very nervous, since Tara's father would probably have some words about dragging his daughter into a confrontation with a villain. He did have a few words, but they weren't as harsh as Ron was expecting. After his lecture, he admitted that his daughter could be a very stubborn girl at times and was actually happy that she was seeing a young man that was behaving as a gentleman. All told, it made Ron feel guilty when he kissed his girlfriend goodnight.

That night, he prepared dinner for two and Chippy was honestly shocked when the young man cooked for them both, sat at the same table as the monkey and the mole rat, and helped with the dishes. It turned out that Chippy had spent some time cleaning the house, since that had been one of her many duties when she lived with Monty. After homework came kata time. Again, Ron went through the three routines he had mastered, then worked some more on the fourth, making progress but not perfecting it yet.

His routine was set for the week, at least; drilling in the morning, school, practice in the afternoon, walking Tara home, dinner, kata. Of course, Wednesday night was sparring with KP and again, the dojo's Sensei was complimentary to how he had improved. Wade finished the repairs and upgrades to Ron's tree house on Thursday and Ron helped Chippy move in, as well as made a list of items the monkey would need to be comfortable. Again, the monkey seemed confused that he took the time. Ron didn't have much time to think of his monkey's attitude, since he had a cheer competition on Saturday.

It was actually a fairly close competition, mainly because the Middleton Squad was working on their next routine for after the first of the year. It needed some polishing but was still solid. However, Tara and Ron's dance number completely rocked the house. By the time the Middleton Squad left the court, Tara was completely exhausted, but happy; performing two cheer routines as well as the swing dance number was tiring even for someone as fit as her. She quickly regained her energy when the Middleton Squad won the competition.

They finished fairly early for a Saturday night but again, Bonnie invited Hope and Tara over to her place to watch movies. To Ron's surprise, Bonnie also invited him but he politely declined, saying that as much as spending time with such lovely ladies was tempting, it sounded like more of a girl thing. Again, Bonnie actually smiled at him fondly and Tara gave him another peck on the cheek. He was ready to head home, thinking that some kata time under Chippy's and Rufus' observation was in order, when Kim asked him if he would like to stop by Bueno Nacho and hang at her place for a little bit. Ron was a little surprised, sure that she would be with Josh on a Saturday night, but agreed.

It had been a long time since the two friends had just hung out for the sake of hanging out. To Ron's sorrow and surprise, it felt awkward. He could see that Kim felt the same way, and it bothered her as much as it bothered him. Sitting at opposite ends of the couch in the Possibles' den, their takeout bags in their laps and a movie they weren't really watching on the television, they struggled to find things to talk about.

"Josh and I didn't work out," Kim finally told him. "He's a good guy and all it's just...he and I weren't really interested in the same things."

"I'm sorry," Ron managed.

"Me too," Kim sighed. "It never bothered me before when the other girls on the squad had boyfriends and I didn't, but now..."

"Your best friend is dating and you're not?" Ron prompted.

"Am I that shallow?" She shook her head. "I was so happy when you and Tara got together! Now, you have a girlfriend and things between us just seem awkward."

"Well, let's clear your head a little," Ron suggested, standing up and reaching for his coat. "Sparring, front yard, now!"

"At this time of night?" She looked at him like he had gone insane.

"A fight doesn't always happen when you're ready," he reminded her. "You told me that."

"I did, didn't I?" She grabbed her coat as well.

It was clumsy, sparring in the snow while wearing boots and coats but conflict didn't always wait for you to be at your best. Sometimes trouble came looking for you, rather than the other way around. It felt so good to be there for Kim, to let her do what she did so well. The snow slowed them both but proved to even the contest just a touch, robbing Kim of some of her incredible agility. Snow flew as the two teens advanced and retreated, kicked, dodged, punched and kicked. The redhead's pensive mood faded, lost in the rhythm and exertion of the primal drive of conflict.

Soon, they threw off their outer coats; their exertions were warming them enough. Worries faded and trivial concerns were put in perspective. She was currently unattached, cheer competitions were coming up and final exams were in a couple of weeks. But she was young and vibrant, who knew when a boyfriend would show up, under her radar? The squad was drilling on the routines they would take to competition and she was on top of her academics. Everything would fall into place!

After a final leg sweep put Ron on his back in the snow, she called a halt. She gave her friend a hand to his feet and gave him a hug.

"Thanks," she told him. "That's just what I needed."

Both teens had wide smiles as Ron reclaimed his coat and said his goodbye, trotting home through the cold night. Helping KP in that way made him feel alive and full of energy! He was in no way able to settle down to sleep, so he went to the back yard to first perform the first three katas. Chippy came out of the tree house to observe. Then, he worked on the fourth some more. On the third try, he got it right.

Suddenly, a surge of joy and energy flowed through him. It was better than when he performed his first kata to the drums and clapping for the first time; it was better than when he had originally received his Mystical Monkey Power; it was better than when he helped KP fight her way through her melancholy! It was even better than when he and Tara kissed! This was amazing!

Gasping for breath, he noticed that Chippy was staring at him with an expression of adoration and respect.

Far away, on another continent, it was daytime. An ancient weapon thrummed with energy as its master became more powerful. Close by, a wise old man noted the display and felt a deep misgiving.

* * *

 _A/N: As always, my sincere thanks to Joe Stoppinghem for his beta assistance._

 _My thanks for the reviews and comments._

 _Until my next update, best wishes to all;_

 _daccu65_


	6. Chapter 6

Lord Montgomery Fiske heaved himself out of bed and padded through the halls of his ancestral home. Between Kim Possible and the pretender, he had some new bruises and other injuries, but they would heal over time. He was more concerned with the spirit that was following him or, more to the point, its location.

He was no longer sure.

His laptop, with his best-guess tracking program, had been one of the items he had been forced to leave behind when he fled Middleton. While he could re-create his travels on his home computer, he didn't have the GPS tracking history. While he only had incomplete calculations even with his missing property, his newest calculations would be even more imprecise. He decided that it was time to establish the spirit's location, by drawing it to him. He called his remaining ninjas.

"You will re-build the fence maze and tracking system that you built under Mr. Lode's direction," he instructed them. "We will draw the spirit here, so we have a known reference point. After that, I can begin to track it anew."

The monkeys made no move to comply.

"Why aren't you moving?" Fiske demanded. "I gave you an order. It is your duty to follow it as per...oh, of course."

"Chippy was captured during the last operation. I do not know when, or even if, we will be able to recover her." Fiske informed them. The monkeys all saluted, a sign of respect for their lost comrade.

"Until then, you will need a new head monkey," Fiske noted. "Tommy, the task falls to you. You will organize the other monkey ninjas." Suddenly, Fiske noted something. "Eight of you are gone! Where are your fellows?"

Tommy chittered at his master for several minutes.

"You rotate four of your number to Killigan's castle, serving him and learning golf?" Fiske was dumbstruck. "Why do you do this?"

More chittering answered.

"Mr. Killigan pays my estate for your services?" Fiske thought a moment. "And he enjoys company on his golf course? That actually makes excellent sense! If he enjoys the company, I suppose a certain amount of good will with him may prove beneficial at some point. Very well, congratulations for coming up with an excellent idea. Now, to your duties!"

Fiske watched the monkeys gather in the great hall, where Tommy organized them into groups before leading them to the tool shed. He wasn't as efficient as Chippy had been, but Fiske supposed he would get better with experience. Satisfied that the upkeep of his estate was in capable paws, he turned his attention to his PC. To the best of his knowledge, the spirit was now somewhere northwest of Calcutta. It would take several weeks to reach his estate. While Fiske didn't consider himself tied to his home, it would take something major to make him wander too far afield.

That thought made him hesitate. Undoubtedly, Mr. Lode would be able to detect his preparations for the spirit's arrival and guess what he was about. With a slight chill, Lord Montgomery Fiske wondered if his actions in Middleton had constituted, in Mr. Lode's mind, sufficient cause to launch a three hundred kilogram mass.

Deciding that such worries were not productive, he went to his library and pulled out several ancient scrolls. In addition to 'The Han' there were several intriguing possibilities for weapons to turn against the spirit, the cheerleader and the pretender, in no particular order. He also pulled out a notebook in which he had recorded research on certain charms and tokens against evil spirits, back before he focused on all things simian. It was to this notebook that he devoted a great deal of his attention.

Before long, he was logging onto various blogs for professional archaeologists, requesting information and offering some of his own. Since some of the professionals from which he would obtain information were in various other time zones, he was sure that there would be a number of days of give and take before he got sufficient data to either proceed or decide that his quest was not worthwhile. It was almost with regret that he returned his research on The Han to his files. It was time for another avenue of research.

With his queries for information sent off into the ether, he now started researching long-neglected contacts for supplies, guide services and local officials who could be persuaded, by various means, to look the other way when certain antiquities were unearthed. It had been a long time since he had visited Ethiopia, and he wanted his operations to run smoothly when he arrived.

* * *

Ron was beyond being on the top of the world as he walked to Kim's house Monday morning. He had reached the top of the world, set up a step ladder and climbed six feet above it all, standing on the top wrung in violation of OSHA standards! Instead of meeting him at the front door, KP asked him to come inside.

"I got a priority delivery this morning," she told him. "The Chinese Government was very happy with us for recovering the amulet and returning it to their embassy. They gave us a couple of tokens of their appreciation."

She opened a jewelry box and showed the boy two, small stone hexagons. While both were green, one had a more blue-ish tint to it.

"They're jade and valuable," she told him. "I thought I'd let you choose which one you wanted."

Ron pointed to the one with the blue tint. Kim smiled at him.

"I bet you're planning on putting it around a certain blue-eyed girl's neck come Christmas," she noted.

"I...well...yeah," he told her.

"Good move," she approved. "I'm going to have mine put on a chain, as well. I wont wear it until after Christmas and let Tara have a nice surprise."

"Thanks, KP."

She patted him fondly on the shoulder, put the jade trinkets in a locked cabinet, grabbed her coat and accompanied him out of the door. Now, Ron was feeling like he was on top of an eight foot step ladder on the top of the world. Only two weeks until the holiday break, he was up to date on his academics, he had helped his friend through some melancholy, he had a smoking hot girlfriend and he had gotten a rush like never before in his life from the Mystical Monkey Power last night. This morning, while training with Chippy, he had never moved so fast, his reflexes had never been better. Sure, he had a lot of work to do, but he was getting there!

Soon, they were at school and at Kim's locker. As soon as they opened said storage convenience, the screen turned on.

"Update on Monkeyfist," Wade told them. "He has returned to his castle and his monkeys have started to rebuild the fence maze I designed for him before."

"Any particular reason?" Kim asked.

"Only two possibilities come to mind," Wade took a deep drink from his cola. "The least likely is that he's found some weapon to use against the spirit and he wants to make use of the maze to utilize the weapon most effectively."

"What's the more likely possibility?" Kim asked.

"He's planning to make another move, but he wants to lock down the spirit's location," Wade suggested. "Say he wants to investigate a possible find in Vietnam. He probably wants to make sure he knows exactly where the spirit is, before he leaves, so he has a very good idea how long he can be on a site without it catching him. If he were to crawl down some narrow passage and have it follow him in, he'd be doomed if there isn't a second way out."

"Any idea where he could be thinking of going?" Kim prompted.

"I haven't fully hacked into his systems," Wade admitted, an act that must have been painful for him. "But he has sent a number of inquiries about King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba to some very knowledgeable archaeologists. He has also sent some inquires so services in Eastern Africa."

"My history may be a little hazy," Ron admitted. "But wasn't 'ol Sol a King in Israel?"

"But he had extensive political and economic connections throughout the Middle East, the Mediterranean and the Red Sea areas." Wade pointed out. "I've just started to do some research to figure out how King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba could have anything to do with Fiske's current predicament. Who knows, he might just be after money again."

"Keep us posted," Kim instructed.

"As always," Wade agreed.

"Bloop!" The gentle voice sounded behind Kim.

She spun around, knowing what she would see. Sure enough, Tara was behind Ron, her hands over his eyes. Ron looked considerably less amused than he hand in the past. Kim frowned a little; the joke was getting a little old, although Tara didn't use it very often. Still, Ron shouldn't look that aggravated. The blonde boy regained his bearing before turning to face his girlfriend.

"Good morning," he greeted her, squeezing her hand and giving a pointed look up the hall. Tara followed his gaze to see Barking making his way towards them, meaning that any additional public displays of affection were out of the question for the moment.

"Getting a little too friendly for my peace of mind," the big man told Ron. "Trying to maintain your week-before-break detention tradition, Stoppable?"

"Not at all, Mr. B," Ron answered, holding Tara's hand up for easier view. "Just remembering our health class lecture on frostbite and checking Miss King here. You can't be too careful and I think I spotted a potential spot of that vile condition."

He breathed gently on Tara's hand, his mouth almost touching the smooth skin. Tara clearly enjoyed the attention.

"If Miss King is suffering from frostbite, take her to the school nurse. Otherwise, get that mouth away from that hand before it winds up reciting your algebra lesson later tonight."

Barkin spun on a heel and stalked down the hallway, admonishing a sophomore for taking too long to open his locker. Kim looked at her best friend.

"You really shouldn't push him like that," she told Ron. "You might actually get out of detention during the last week this semester!" She paused. "Now, you two, let go of your hands and Tara, get that silly grin off of your face, we have classes to attend!"

The redhead somehow managed to get the two blondes moving in the correct directions, despite thinking that it would be nice to be distracted for the same reason that they were.

The teachers at Middleton High had to be commended for their efforts to keep the students focused on academics, despite the sort week and upcoming holidays. There was also the fact that the annual winter dance was coming up that weekend to add to the distraction. Kim chuckled a little at the irony; back when the school year started, she had her dates for all of the dances and Ron was left out in the cold, so to speak. Now, Ron clearly had his dates set up for the foreseeable future...and nobody could really fault either Tara or him. She was clearly crazy for him and he was behaving like a gentleman. She smirked at that thought, Ron might be just a little more of a gentleman than Tara really wanted him to be, but the two of them would deal with it.

For her, the last class of the day was science. She went in with a certain amount of dread, since Mr. Barkin was substituting again and this would give the big man an excellent chance to give Ron detention at the last moment. Fortunately, Tara wasn't in the class, which meant that Ron had at least some chance of focusing on academics.

Kim kicked herself, mentally. Was she _that_ irked that her best friend was paired up while she wasn't? Ron and Tara had been very good about focusing on academics. A good deal of their time spent together on weekends was devoted to homework and they were good for each other in that regard; on the same level, so to speak, so that they challenged and pushed each other.

"All right people, _listen up_!" Barkin walked into the classroom and greeted his students in his usual manner. "Your usual teacher, Mrs. Thompson is still on administrative leave after the accident last week. That's an important safety tip for all of you; if you're ever carrying a tray with live virus samples, make sure there are no marbles on the floor between yourself and the refrigerator. Her sneezing and coughing have subsided, but the rash is still a vibrant scarlet with yellow highlights. Now, in the interest of keeping things interesting on this short week, you will be assigned very minor science research projects."

A slight round of groans sounded through the classroom.

"Furthermore, I will assign your partners," he grinned at the students' reactions. "In order to make sure that this won't turn into a pre-semester break party. In addition, you will maintain the same partners for a more extensive assignment during the new semester. Stoppable, you're teamed with Monique. Fredrickson, you're teamed with Smith..."

The names continued to be called, but Kim's wasn't. She frowned when Mr. Barkin started calling the teams forward to pick up their project assignments. Kim realized that there were an odd number of students in the class, but what had she done to be the odd one out? While the rest of the students had their heads together over their assignments (and she was pleased to note that Ron was _working_ with Monique) she walked up to the teacher's desk.

"Mr. Barkin," she pointed out. "I don't have a partner or an assignment."

"Correct and perceptive, Possible," Barkin informed her. "You will have both, very shortly. There's a new student present in this fine institution and it may be difficult for him to integrate himself into this class with only a short week before semester break. I have assigned him to you."

"Okay, where is he?" Kim asked.

"Right behind you," a voice sounded from the described location.

Kim turned and momentarily didn't see anybody. Then she looked down.

"Felix Renton," a brown-haired boy introduced himself from his wheelchair. "Looks like I slid in under your notice! I do that a lot. I recognize you of course."

"Oh," Kim was caught a little out of sorts. "What brings you here this late in the year?"

"My mother just took a job at the space center," he told her. "She's a robotics expert and will be working with your father. What say, want to get to work?"

The boy took the assignment and rolled to a desk. Kim quickly followed him and they started to discuss the project. Kim quickly realized that he was very intelligent and had a solid grasp on the course material.

"Isn't it kind of rough, moving to a new school with only a week left before the end of the semester?" Kim asked the new boy.

"I had already tested out of the semester at my old school," he shrugged. "According to the state law, I have to be enrolled in school and Mr. Barkin didn't want me just hanging around here. By the way, where do you want to meet up to finish this? My place, yours, the library? We should be able to finish in a couple of hours."

"I have cheer-leading after classes," Kim told him. "But I could make it to the library, later tonight, say seven?"

"I'll be there," he assured her. "A pleasure meeting you."

"Likewise," she said, shaking the offered hand. "Do you need any help? With stairs and all...I mean..."

"Stairs are a problem for handicapped people," Felix grinned and continued in a warm tone. "Not for me. Catch you later!"

The class bell rang and the students piled out of their classrooms in route to the sweet freedom that the last bell of the day represented. Kim picked up her books and set her course for her locker before deciding to see if Felix needed help on the stairs, despite his claims. She spotted the boy as he approached the stairs and saw the large wheels on his chair suddenly flex and mold to the steps, giving him a smooth and stable ride down. Feeling foolish, realizing that he must have made it _**to**_ the second floor without her help, she returned to her original destination.

* * *

Not even the surprise science assignment could dampen Ron's mood. Now he was working out with the cheer squad, concentrating on tumbling and other gymnastic and agility drills. Such workouts would serve him well with his Tai Shen Pek Kwar. He was so intense with his workout that he didn't notice the eyes staring at him from an air vent high in the gym.

After practice, Kim observed Ron and Tara going through their routine a couple of times. They had it down solid but there was always room for improvement. The two blondes were more than willing to work on it; tweaking, adding, making it flow more smoothly. Still, nobody noticed the eyes in the duct work, studying the teens during the workout.

Again, Ron walked Tara home, the two blondes huddled under a blanket as they walked through the snow-covered residential areas, enjoying the peaceful evening and each others body warmth. They talked about classes, the holidays, the routine and the upcoming competition. Ron had to force himself to walk slowly, as he wanted to get Tara home, get to the library, finish the assignment so that he could perform kata again tonight. Again, he failed to notice the agile form flitting among the trees and observing the two. While Tara wanted a fairly extensive good night, Ron argued that he had to finish his science assignment. There was a frown on his girlfriend's face when he left.

That evening, he met Monique at the library to work on the assignment. There, they met KP and Felix. The two sets of assignment partners actually raced against each other, making it a contest to finish their research assignments. At the end, Monique and Ron spoke to Felix in a more friendly manner, getting to know the new kid. Ron and Felix got into a bit of an argument over which was the best Zombie Mayhem game, II or III, which seemed to be a form of bonding. It was getting just a bit late when the four teens left the library.

Ron noted that instead of the hand-powered wheelchair that Felix had at school, he was now in a motorized number with large snow tires. It was a large wheelchair, and looked like it had a fairly impressive engine. Ron commented on the new kid's wheels. Felix just grinned and told him to remember to ask for a demonstration sometime more convenient.

Instead of going inside when he got home, Ron went to the back yard again to work on his kata. Shortly after starting, Chippy emerged from the tree house and watched him for a short time. After Ron finished his first three, the monkey confronted him.

Ron stood, listening to the chittering for a few minutes.

"Yes, I have my homework caught up, why is that important compared to the mystical monkey power and Tai Shen Pek Kwar?"

More chittering answered him.

"Okay, I understand..I think," Ron answered. "It's important to be a fairly normal teenage boy. Not appearing to be a mystical martial arts master is a good way to catch the bad guys by surprise. That sounds kind of ninja."

Chippy answered with a squeak, followed by more inquiring chittering.

"Yes, I'm on the cheerleading squad," Ron told her. "You were watching?"

Chippy nodded.

"Maybe I should quit," Ron told his small adviser. "You know, the time I'm spending practicing cheer-leading could be spent training."

Chippy gave a very disproving shriek, followed by a lecturing series of chirps.

"Okay, the cheer-leading is a good workout, enhancing agility, balance and endurance. Good enough, I'll keep at it."

Chippy then continued her lecture, swinging her arms up and down.

"The handsprings and throwing the blonde girl around is good strength training? Hey, was that a shot against Tara? She's not a very big girl!"

Chippy shook her head, continuing her chatter.

"Okay, lifting and throwing her is excellent strength training. It wasn't meant as an insult and I can see it. Tara's light, but she still weighs more than most barbells. Plus, with the lifts, catches and throws all of my muscles get a workout. Anything else?"

Chippy replied with a two-toned chirp and raised eyebrows.

"Yes, I am _dating_ Tara!" Ron sounded a little indignant. "Humans don't refer to it as a mating display! I'll admit that the dating thing takes away from workout and kata time, so maybe I should break it off."

Chippy responded with a very loud shriek and a disproving series of squeaks.

"Yes, teenagers are expected to date," he answered.

Chippy replied with questioning chattering.

"Yeah, I like her," Ron told her. "I like spending time with her."

Chippy nodded and chittered some more.

"Okay, I'll keep dating her," Ron told her. "Since teenage boys are supposed to date teenage girls, it will be good cover for me and yes, I like her."

Chippy squawked once.

"Apologize to her? What for?"

The monkey now waggled a finger at Ron, a disgusted expression on her face.

"You followed us to her house?" Ron demanded. "Yes, she had a little frown on her face when I left, but I had to get my assignment done."

A single squawk and the shake of a monkey head answered.

"Okay, I'll apologize for leaving too early," Ron assured his questioner. "As soon as I see her. Satisfied?"

The monkey growled in the back of her throat and motioned towards the open yard.

"You won't answer until you see my last kata? Okay, fine, let me show you what I have!"

Chippy watched as Ron returned to the open yard and paused for a few moments, gathering himself. Then, it was time to start. The ran through the moves, striking, blocking, springing, advancing and retreating, but didn't get the rush he had last night.

Chippy walked up to him, squeaking, pointing to her chest and gesturing from her core to her extremities. Ron nodded and returned to the center of the yard.

This time, he concentrated on his chi, the power in his body, and making if flow through his limbs as he performed the ceremonial moves. He felt himself flow more smoothly than he did last time but something still seemed off. Again, he didn't receive the rewarding surge that he had last night. Chippy approached him when he finished.

This time, Chippy's vocalizations were more questioning, pointing all around the boy. Ron stood for several minutes after the monkey's question, wondering why he was seeking greater power. He thought of the adoration that he could receive from mastering mystical energies, but felt no real drive in that direction. He thought about enemies crushed under his feet, but felt no joy. Then he thought of his friends. He thought of KP and how close she had come to dying at Fiske's hands. He thought about how she looked a little depressed last night and how sparring in the snow had cheered her up. He thought of Tara and her beaming face when they finally got the swing number down right. Okay, that last one wasn't exactly Tai Shen Pek Kwar related, but the physical conditioning he had experienced helped achieve it.

He concentrated both on his chi and on the vision of himself, standing between those he cared about and those who would do them harm. Taking a last, deep breath, he began the routine.

But it wasn't really a routine, was it? It was a practice of Tai Shen Pek Kwar, polishing the movements. It was rehearsal, learning to make attacks, blocks, and maneuvering flow with each other. It was harmonizing, bringing himself in alignment with his very own Mystical Monkey Power. It was a display, demonstrating to himself his increasing ability. Finally, it was a celebration of what he had accomplished so far, acknowledging the steps he had already taken upon the journey. He lost track of where he was in the ceremony, simply enjoying the play of his limbs and muscles, the merging of movement and breathing. He was almost surprised when he finished the last move.

Chippy noted Ron's eyes glow with a blue fire and a look of intense joy burst on the chosen one's face. The young man gasped at the feeling of joy and power that rushed through his very veins. For several minutes, Ron could only stand, gasping at the sensations that poured through his body. Finally coming down from the surge, he sought his room and his bed.

Far away, the mystical and ancient weapon surged with power once again. The elder was waiting nearby this time and studied the pattern and tone of the emissions. His frown was a little less severe than it had been before, but it was still a frown rather than a smile.

Action would need to be taken.

* * *

 _Again, my fondest thanks to Joe Stoppinghem for beta reading._


	7. Chapter 7

"You see, Tommy, King Solomon was known for his wealth and his wisdom," Lord Montgomery Fiske told his monkey minion. The Englishman was a harsh taskmaster, but he was known to be affable when speaking of what he had learned. Sitting by his evening fire, he liked to show off his knowledge and he also liked to instruct, especially when he had a captive audience.

"Under his direction, the Kingdom of Israel prospered. By maintaining friendly relations with those states that surrounded his, he was able to avoid the horrific losses and expenditures that are associated with major battles. He established trade relations with those around him, which made his kingdom a major trade route, enhancing both his wealth and his goodwill with his neighbors. However, most historians don't realize the inevitable consequence of trading goods."

* * *

"Information was exchanged, as well," Wade told Kim and Ron, via the Kimmunicator. The teens were walking to school, getting their briefing in route. "I'm more for hard sciences than mysticism but I have to admit that there's something...outside of the science that I understand. Anyway, Solomon encouraged not only the transfer of information, he invited the practitioners of the arts to visit, as well. The great temple wasn't just the center of his own faith, it was a place where the practitioners off all of what I would call the mysteries could come and exchange knowledge with others."

"Think of it for a minute," Wade's eyes were actually wide with wonder. "The necromancers of Egypt, the wise men of Mesopotamia, druids from Europe, the Phoenicians, the Arabians, Persians, Namibians and other Africans. All were welcome to come and learn. In time, word even reached India and further into Asia. Texts suggest even the Chinese sent learned men. The only requirement for any who came was that they would teach as well as learn. As a result, King Solomon became known for having mastery over all forms of spirits, demons...whatever you choose to call supernatural creatures."

* * *

"Tales of this wisdom and learning reached a land to the south, a nation that occupied both sides of the mouth of the Red Sea. The land of Sheba." Fiske continued his lecture. "Tradition has that the Queen of Sheba visited Israel. The typical historian believes that if this visit actually took place, the Queen did so in order to to join in the trade and diplomatic exchanges that were proving so profitable to those nations around the Eastern Mediterranean."

"I not only believe that she actually visited King Solomon, but she had a more personal motive." Fiske smiled at the monkey. "There is power in a king's lineage, especially on of Solomon's line. In addition, his own accomplishments as a ruler made this lineage all the more powerful. Many writings suggest that the Queen of Sheba was carrying Solomon's child when she left Israel. I believe that she fully intended to gain this child before leaving for her visit."

* * *

"King Solomon had to have known her intent and had to have agreed with this," Wade continued his briefing. "He had to have known that this child he fathered with her would be a powerful mystic. He had to have known that he would be founding a line of powerful masters of the supernatural. Remember that he was a king and he took his duties to defend his kingdom very seriously, so there was no way he would have agreed if he saw any threat to Israel. He had to have believed that this line he was founding would be vital to the world."

"Some writings suggest that when the Queen of Sheba left Israel, Solomon draped her with powerful charms and items to keep her safe from all spirits. Other writings suggest that he sent servants, skilled in the arts of crafting wards and items of power, with her." Wade informed them. "I believe these writings. I believe that King Solomon didn't just succumb to the Queen's charms, I believe that he deliberately gave her this child and took extensive precautions to safeguard this beginning of another royal line. The important thing to remember is that not only did the Queen have powerful wards against spirits with her when she returned to her empire, she was accompanied by mystics capable of creating more."

"Do you think that Fiske is after one or more of these items?" Kim asked the youngster.

* * *

"This is what I seek to obtain," Fiske told Tommy. "This is our goal. After returning from Israel with her newborn son, the Queen of Sheba established her seat of power in what is now Ethiopia. She embarked upon a program of building, in which she built not only large structures in her own capital, but smaller and secretive structures throughout her realm. I have made inquiries and paid a great deal of money. Soon, I should have ground penetrating radar images as well as additional reports from earlier explorers available to me. I have no doubt that I will experience many false leads and futile explorations, but I will eventually find at least one of these wards. While not a perfect solution, it will keep my person safe from this spirit while I try to find a permanent resolution.

* * *

"So what do you suggest we do?" Kim asked Wade.

"For right now, continue your normal lives," Wade told her. "Fiske is still gathering information and we wont know where to go until he decides where to go. I'm hacked in to his systems and I'm observing his property as well. I suspect that he's going to continue to refine his goals until the spirit arrives at his castle. At that point, he'll know exactly where it is and will know how much time he'll have in Ethiopia before it gets there. He'll know exactly how much time he has available to search before he has to move on."

"Okay, I'm so not looking forward to having to make the run to Ethiopia at the same time we have the next competition," Kim complained. "These missions always seem to take place at competition time."

"Or exam time," Ron added. "Or term paper time, or opening weekend of the latest Bricks of Fury time, or..."

"I get the idea," Wade interrupted. "I'll keep an eye on things. In the meantime, try to enjoy yourselves."

By this time, the teens were in the high school and at Kim's locker. Ron kept looking around and finally spotted his girlfriend, who looked like she was debating whether or not to join them. Ron remembered his promise to Chippy and approached Tara.

"I'm very sorry," he told her, as she favored him with a level look, devoid of expression. "I really was short with you last night, and it was wrong."

"Okay, I know that you don't have much experience with the whole dating thing," Tara told him, her face relaxing just a bit. "But being short with your girlfriend so that you can meet with another girl is just wrong!"

"I understand that now," Ron apologized some more. "But I was only thinking of getting the assignment done."

"Okay, that sounds better," Tara favored him with a small grin.

"If it makes you feel better, we got the assignment done, so I won't have it hanging over me any more," Ron told her. "Now, would this be a bad time to ask you to join me for the Middleton Symphony's Christmas Concert this Friday?"

"No, it would be a very good time to ask me," Tara told him, her smile growing a little more.

"How about asking you to join me for formal dining, afterwards?" Ron continued, now carrying her books towards their homeroom.

"That will cost you something," Tara told him. "You're going to have to show up early Friday. My parents would like to talk to us about the influence we're having on each other."

"That sounds dire," Ron pointed out. "Should I be nervous?"

"No more nervous than I am," she told him.

"And how nervous is that?"

"Very," she admitted.

"Well, the Christmas dance is on the 26th," Ron reminded her. "Depending on the outcome of our lecture, would you like to attend with me?"

"If you hadn't asked me, I was planning on hurting you," she admitted.

Kim fell a little farther behind the pair, letting them have their private banter. She was very happy that her best friend and her good friend had found someone to be with in this way. Still, her smile was a little wistful, as she wished she could find someone to share playful banter like that with. Even Josh hadn't joked with her in that manner. To her surprise, she found that she actually missed the talking trash to each other that she used to share with Ron.

"Hey, Kim," another voice greeted her. She looked down to see Felix catch up with her.

"Hey, Felix," she smiled at the new boy. He seemed like a genuinely nice guy and wasn't fazed in the least by her fame.

"I have the paper ready to turn in, if you'd like to give it a once-over," he offered.

"Why, don't I just trust you on this?" She asked. She had learned, very quickly, that he was a very intelligent young man.

"Suit yourself," he shrugged. "Catch you later!"

"Hey Felix?" He turned slightly to look at her. "Are you going to be okay in the crowded hall?"

A moment later, she felt foolish for even asking.

"Hey, it's hard to keep calm in such a target rich environment, but I do okay," he shook his head. "So many pedestrians, so little time." He popped a wheelie, spun his chair in the direction he needed to go and took off down the hall.

After thumping herself on the forehead a couple of times, Kim made her way to her homeroom and started her day.

Even more so than yesterday, it was a challenge to keep focused on the academics. Still she forced herself to pay attention and kept notes as best she could. The day dragged by but finally, it was time for cheer practice again.

She didn't know why she was feeling so pensive, but the physical activity of cheer practice seemed to take the melancholy away. The need for precision, timing, physical exertion...the need to _do_ seemed the cure for her doldrums. Unfortunately, most of the rest of the squad didn't have her pensiveness, her need to do something. She found herself driving them harder than she really needed to, and it was only Ron's discrete scowl from behind the group that made her back off.

The soccer coaching fiasco had been a lesson well learned. She knew that her own drive for perfection could squeeze the fun out of an activity for just about anybody else. For all of his faults, Ron was a people person. He could usually tell when people had been pushed too far. As driven as the cheer squad was, the girls were still on the squad because they enjoyed it.

"Hey everybody," Kim stated. "Why don't we see how Tara and Ron have smoothed out their routine?"

The squad seemed to think that was a good idea, so the two blondes ran through the mascot routine again. Kim could see that they had added and refined some moves, getting close to the boundary of what would be acceptable for a high school performance. The rest of the squad approved and made additional suggestions. Afterwards, Kim noted that there was still about fifteen minutes of practice time scheduled, but she decided to reward everyone with some time off.

Everyone but Ron.

"Everyone," she called. "It's been a good year. We don't have practice tomorrow, so why don't we call it quits now? I'm looking forward to getting together when the new semester starts and taking care of business and wining the district competition."

The other girls cheered and headed for the locker room.

"Tara, do you mind if I borrow your boyfriend for a few minutes?" Kim asked the blonde.

"No," Tara looked a little confused. "What's up?"

Kim simply smiled and dropped into a fighting stance. Understanding, Ron did as well. The rest of the squad halted in their quest to shower and dress, and stopped to watch the display. After giving her best friend a few moments to get ready, Kim launched herself at him.

Again, her pensiveness evaporated in the exertion of fighting. Ron was improving and although he wasn't on the level of Shego or Fiske; it would go very hard on Drakken, Dementor, a henchman or a monkey ninja if they ever clashed with him. Her hands and feet were moving faster than most people could even follow, much less react to; yet Ron was holding her off, if only barely. Whenever she managed to get a light shot through his defenses, she would spring away from him momentarily and start the assault anew.

Ron countered her superior speed and skill with sheer unpredictability. Where a trained master might retreat, he attacked. Where a more skilled practitioner would block, he would try to dodge. It was impossible to predict what he would do, which made the session even better for her. The two covered almost the entire basketball court with their quick maneuvers. Finally, she managed a hip toss and he was a hair slower regaining his feet. She called a halt and helped him up.

"Thanks," she whispered to him. Her indecisiveness was gone.

"Don't mention it," he whispered back.

They took a few steps back from each other and offered formal bows. After the bows, they indulged in a quick embrace and high five before heading to their separate locker rooms. As she was dressing, Tara approached her.

"I really shouldn't be happy about another girl roughing up my boyfriend," she said. "But there's something special about the two of you that makes me not mind it."

Kim could only look at her while she came to other conclusions.

"I'd like to be what you are to him, but it would be foolish of me," she continued. "I'll never be the fighter or adventurer that you are, and that's a part of his life that he doesn't want to give up. But on the other hand, you'll never be the _'girl'_ that I am, at least not to him. You grew up together and it would probably be hard for the two of you to look at each other the way we look at each other."

Kim's eyes opened a little, as she had never considered her relationship with Ron in that manner.

"When I do the mascot routine with him, it's romantic," the wicked grin on Tara's sweet face looked out of place. "You could perform the moves with him, but you'd just be doing the moves. When I dance like that with him, I'm thinking something else. I'm thinking of getting him alone for a little romance. So I envy you the aspect of your life that you share with him but I feel sorry for you because you can't appreciate him as a _'boy'_ the way that I can."

"Tara, are you trying to say something more?" Kim asked.

"Kim, you're my friend and I know that you told him I was interested in him. I know that he sometimes asks your opinion about dates and how he should act around me. I'm very grateful, because he's a good boyfriend and I enjoy the time I spend with him. Don't change your relationship with him because of me, just know what part I play in his life."

"I'll be sure to chase him your way when we get back from a mission." Kim offered.

"And I hope you find someone to be that to you," Tara told her.

Kim thought about that as she left the locker room and saw her best friend and her friend bundle a blanket around themselves for the walk home. She stood and thought things through a little bit. She wanted a boyfriend. Strangely enough, she wanted a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship of the sort she saw Ron and Tara enjoying; while they went on proper dates, they just seemed to like spending time with each other. Her dates with Josh had been great, but they hadn't really enjoyed just...hanging.

The next morning, she met up with Ron for their walk to school. She was in a very good mood.

"Did beating me up make you feel better?" He asked, even though his tone was light.

"Sparring with you made me feel better," she corrected. "So thank you. Now, what is your plan for your date with Tara this Friday?"

"You already know most of it," Ron shrugged. "A horse and sleigh ride to the Symphony, I'll have my dad's car positioned to take her to dinner, then I'll take her home. A lot of this is going to depend on what her parents have to say to us before the date." Ron shuddered at the thought.

"What do the two of you usually do?" Kim asked him.

"I'm lucky," Ron had an amazed look on his face. "She loves physical things that don't cost much. She loves to ice skate and ski. She loves dancing and roller skating. She loves to walk home through the cold, bundled under a blanket. She..." Ron couldn't seem to come up with more.

"She loves spending time with you," Kim pointed out, quietly. "Just as much as you love spending time with her."

By now, they were at school. As was their habit, Ron left Kim's locker with Tara, carrying her books and chatting with the girl about their date that weekend.

The school day went by in a blur, as there was no homework assigned on the last day of the semester. Mostly, assignments were turned in and grades were accepted. Finally, Kim found herself in her last class of the day, science. Mr. Barkin provided the grades and Kim was happy and satisfied to see the A she and Felix had earned. She noted that Monique and Ron had earned an A minus. Finally, the last bell of the year sounded, releasing the students.

"Felix," she addressed the new boy, before he could leave the classroom.

"What can I do for you?" He asked.

"There's a school dance on the day after Christmas," she told him. "Would you care to go with me?"

For a few seconds, Felix gave her a level look and made Kim wonder if he appreciated the offer of dancing, bound to a wheelchair as his was.

"I'm sorry if I put you in an awkward position," Kim told him.

"No! I mean, yes!" He told her. "I'd love to go, I'm just not that used to extremely pretty girls asking me out to a dance after only meeting me a week earlier!"

"Oh, well...I thought," Kim tried to stammer an apology.

"So how do we handle this, do I pick you up? That would probably be best," he offered.

"I'm on the dance committee, so I'll have to help decorate earlier that day," Kim told him.

"No problem," he assured her. "I'm free that day. I'll meet you at the gym, help decorate and we can figure it out from there."

Kim walked next to Felix as they left the classroom, forgetting that she was talking to a boy in a wheelchair; simply talking to a boy.

* * *

"Come in Ron," Tara's father told the young man at his door. "We'd like to have a little word with you."

Ron swallowed heavily and walked in the door, trying not to panic at the sound of it closing behind him. He had faced Shego, Monkeyfist, henchmen and doom machines. He would survive the King's.

"Tara, Ron's here," Mr. King called to his daughter. "It's time for us to have a little talk."

Ron's eyes flew wide as Tara came up from the basement. He found it charming that Tara had a basement room, rather than the traditional upstairs room. She looked stunning in a green dress.

"Why don't the two of you have a seat?" Her father suggested, gesturing towards the couch and bringing Ron's attention back to the issue at hand. He sat as directed and was heartened when his girlfriend sat next to him and took his hand.

For a couple of minutes, the Kings simply stared at the two teens, prompting nervousness and squirming.

"Tara, I have your midterm and end of semester grades," the patriarch announced. "And Ron, your parents sent yours to me, as well. They're going to have a word with you when they get back, but they've trusted me to have this initial talk."

Again, the King patriarch stared at the teens for a few minutes, bringing the tension to a breaking point.

"Can the two of you explain your grades?" He demanded.

"I haven't seen my grades," Ron admitted.

"I haven't either," Tara murmured.

"Well, in both cases, they've improved considerably since the two of you started seeing each other," Tara's father told them, maintaining his stern expression. His wife covered her mouth with one hand, her shoulders shaking slightly.

"I'm forced to come to the conclusion that the time you've _claimed_ to spend studying has been spent...studying," he announced. "In fact, I suspect some of the time you've _claimed_ to be spending on dates has probably been spent studying, as well. What do you have to say about that?"

"We share most of our classes," Tara whispered, now play-acting along with the scenario. "Even when we're dating, academics will just creep in when we're not expecting it to."

"There's also the issue of your behavior," he continued to glare at the teens. "Ron, you've been seen walking my daughter home almost every night since you've started dating. The neighbors have noticed and have said that you've been a gentleman towards my daughter and the two of you seem so incredibly cute together that it's almost nauseating."

Ron didn't trust himself to joke along.

"According to your cheer coach, the routine the two of you have put together gave your squad a enough of a boost to win your last competition. Clearly, the two of you are being responsible. This relationship of yours has been beneficial to the two of you, as well as those around you. Well, I'm going to have to do something, so as of now, your weekend curfew has been pushed back to a half hour after midnight. Ron, I've already cleared this with your parents."

Now, Tara's father allowed his face to break into a warm smile. "I'm very pleased with the way the two of you have been behaving yourselves. As of now, the basement den is open to you to spend time in, unsupervised." He told them. "Now, why don't the two of you get out of here and enjoy your date?"

"Thank you, Mr. King," Ron stood up and offered the older man his hand.

"Just keep treating my daughter like a lady, and we're going to get along just fine," his girlfriend's father told him, taking the hand.

Tara gave her father a peck on the cheek. Ron quickly checked his watch and realized that the transportation he had arranged wouldn't be here for another fifteen minutes. He had time.

"Tara," he told her. "I don't know how your family celebrates Christmas, so I'd like to give you your present now."

"I didn't get you anything," Tara protested, while her mother herded her father out of the living room.

"It's okay," Ron assured her. He pulled the small box from his pocket and offered it to her.

Blushing, she slid the ribbon off the box and opened it...her reaction was everything that Ron could have hoped for. She gasped and tentatively pulled the jade hexagon, now hung from a gold chain, out of the box.

"It's beautiful!" she gasped.

"So are you," he pointed out.

She gave him a look that was half sultry and half pleased. "Is it real jade?"

"Yes," Ron told her. He then told her that it had been a gift from the Chinese Government, in gratitude for recovering the Amulet of the Monkey King.

"And it matches my dress!" She exclaimed, holding it to her against her apparel. "Put it on me!"

She handed him her newest piece of jewelry, turned her back to him and pulled up her glorious mass of blonde hair. Ron stepped up behind her, put his arms around her and fastened the clasp behind her neck...that slender, pale neck that seemed to be made to be draped with jewelry. She turned and gave him a quick kiss on the mouth before rushing to show her mother her latest possession.

A few minutes later, the horse and sleigh showed up and Tara's reaction was, once again, priceless. Ron felt a great deal of satisfaction as he offered her his arm and led her out on the date.

* * *

That evening, he drove her in his father's car back to her home. He rushed around to her side of the vehicle and offered her his arm. She took it, clinging close as they walked up the sidewalk. He expected a little kissing at the door, brief due to the cold, before going home.

"Our curfews have been extended," she pointed out. "And we can use the den in the basement. Why don't we take advantage of both?"

Ron suppressed his wish to perform his katas and get the jolt and agreed with his girlfriend. She led him downstairs, to where a wood-burning stove kept a modest but comfortable room toasty warm and offered a flickering orange light. Tara took his coat and hung it on a hook, next to hers.

"Have a seat," she told him, gesturing towards a couch. "I'll be right back."

The girl slipped into what was apparently her bedroom and closed the door behind her. The fire kept the room very warm, so Ron removed his jacket and tie as well, hanging them next to his coat. He returned to the couch and took a seat, wondering just what Tara had in mind. Minutes later, her door opened and she returned to the den, prompting Ron to rise to his feet.

She was wearing a sweat suit, leaving Ron wondering how shapeless clothing like that could still managed to be so shapely when on the right person. She smiled shyly at her boyfriend's expression but walked to the wood-burner and placed another log in the flames. With the den braced against the cold night, she padded back to her boyfriend, wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a long kiss. Their close-pressed bodies told him that she was still wearing the jade pendant, albeit under the sweat top.

Bold and shy at the same time, she gently nudged her boyfriend down to sit on the couch and took a place close beside him. He put his arm around her shoulders and she rested her head on his shoulder. For several minutes, they simply sat there, staring into the flames. He didn't know which of them decided to kiss the other, he looked down at her at the same time that she looked up at him and they started to kiss.

It soon became more heated, with them pressed up against each other. He also couldn't say which one of them decided to stretch out on the couch, only that at some point, they wound up lying next to each other, arms around each other and kissing each other in an increasingly heated frenzy. Ron had never made out while horizontal and he soon realized that Tara wasn't exactly used to it either. Still, they managed to teach each other more about making out in this one evening than they had learned in all their teen years before this. At times, they kissed and at times, they simply lay close, holding each other and either murmuring to each other or gazing into the flickering fire.

Finally, she eased him onto his back and lay fully atop him. Their mouths were pressed together, their tongues exploring each others welcoming mouths. His hands roamed just a little, exploring the curves of her waist, back and hips while her body, pressed against his, inflamed him in the way only teenage hormones can be inflamed.

Still, even in his make-out induced haze, he wondered when he would be able to talk Wade into providing him with another ceremonial kata, so that he could gain the power needed to keep this precious young woman safe.

* * *

 _A/N: I'm enjoying the response I've been getting from this tale! Thanks for reading and please, drop me a line and tell me what you think._

 _Fondest thanks to Joe Stoppinghem, for beta reading._


	8. Chapter 8

Okay, the house is lighted and another fine job by the boys," Dr. James Timothy Possible announced. "In fact, with the vertically polarized filters, we shouldn't have a repeat of the aircraft incidents from the past."

"Good job again, Tweebs," Kim hugged both of her brothers.

"Are you sure we aren't going to get to wrestle an anaconda this year?" Jim asked.

"Or take a rocket trip to the north pole?" Tim added. "Those were great!"

"I don't think we can arrange for the anaconda," Kim admitted.

"A boa constrictor will do," Jim offered.

"Or even a python," Tim added. "A python would work, as well!"

"Now boys," Nana told her grandsons. "We can't abuse wildlife every year. Last years reptile rumble was a rare treat. However, your father borrowed the Kepler again and my pilot's license is still valid. Like we promised, we'll take a little ride after carols but before eggnog. Now, what carol do we start with?"

"Deck the halls with boughs of holly, fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la!"

"Who's singing?" Mrs. Dr. Possible asked.

"It's Ronald with some blonde girl outside!" Nana exclaimed.

Outside, Ron and Tara were tucked under a blanket, cheerfully singing in the Possibles' front yard.

"'Tis the season to be jolly, fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la!"

"That's Tara King," Kim told her grandmother. "She and Ron are dating." The young redhead made her way to the door to let her friends inside.

"Don we now our gay apparel...hey KP!" Ron greeted his best friend.

"Tara, Ron, c'mon in!" Kim invited her friends in from the cold.

"Holla Possibles!" Ron greeted everyone as he and his girlfriend stepped inside, stomping the snow off of their boots and emerging from under the blanket. "Just thought I'd stop by to drop off my presents and my bon-diggity girlfriend was kind enough to come along!"

"I hope you don't mind me showing up with Ron," Tara told the assorted Possibles. Ron put gifts for Kim, Jim and Tim under the tree.

"Don't be silly, young lady," James assured her, taking her coat. "Company for carol singing is wonderful and any friend of Ronald's is welcome in my home."

"After Carols, we're going to be indulging in a new Possible Christmas tradition," Nana told the newcomers.

"We're going for a ride to see the northern lights," Jim and Tim told Ron's girlfriend.

"Oh, are they going to be visible from Mt. Middleton tonight?" Tara asked.

Jim and Tim just laughed. Tara looked slightly offended by that.

"I'm afraid you don't understand our family," Kim apologized to her friend. "We're not going to be watching the northern lights from Middleton, we're going to see them from the inside."

Tara could only look at Ron to see if she was being teased.

"It's true," he told her, returning from the tree to stand close to her. "The Kepler can take us for a lap around the pole and back in time for eggnog. Now, what say we start with 'God Rest ye Merry Gentlemen?'"

Tara still didn't quite believe what she had been told, although she joined in the carol singing. Later, having crossed Canada at mach 6, passed through the northern lights, circled the pole a couple of times and buzzed Iceland for the sake of variety, she began to believe in the Possible Family Creed. Later, she welcomed the mundane activity of walking back to the Stoppables' for dinner.

"Ron," she asked her boyfriend as they walked. "Did you take a ride on that spaceship last year?"

"Only on my way back from the pole," he shrugged. "I wound up at the pole by taking a garbage pod from Drakken's spaceship after all of the escape pods had been ejected by accident."

"Are you serious?" She stopped cold and stared at him.

"Completely," he smiled. "You can't make this stuff up."

Tara spent the rest of the walk to Ron's home wondering what sort of times she could expect with this boyfriend. She enjoyed spending time with Ron. He was nice, fun and wasn't interested in the status he enjoyed from dating her. The memory of the rocket ride would be one she would cherish for the rest of her life, but she also remembered helping a wounded Kim to flee from Monkeyfist. They were way too young to be thinking of a future together, but would trouble come looking for her boyfriend and if so, could it find her as well?

Didn't the blue guy...Drakken...and the green woman attack Kim at Bueno Nacho once? Didn't some of the criminals pursue Kim last Halloween? Didn't a mad geneticist strike at Mt. Middleton? The bad guys had shown up here before. Like she had told Kim before, she wasn't a fighter or an adventurer, so what would she do if one of the freaks, that Kim and Ron regularly fought, showed up? Then she thought about the Possibles and the Stoppables.

These were regular families...sort of. They didn't let the bad guys dictate their lives, they lived their lives as they wanted. Tara decided to do the same thing. She wanted to continue to date Ron, so she would. If something unusual or extraordinary happened, she would just deal with it.

"Penny for your thoughts," Ron asked her.

"Just thinking about how unique being with you can be," Tara admitted. "Yes, I was scared of Monkeyfist and Gill, but the flight around the pole and a great boyfriend are worth it."

"Never be normal," Ron told her, his smile wide. Yet, as the two teens approached his home, he was concerned. Because of him, Gill had threatened her twice and Fiske had been close enough to threaten her once. Was she going to suffer because he wasn't able to defeat the bad guys?

The warmth and fellowship of his home made the fears fade. As much as his parents were often gone, he truly loved them and they loved him. The were overjoyed that such a kindly girl had taken an obvious romantic interest in their son. To them, her beauty was only a secondary consideration. They had a meal and a wonderful conversation, although some of his father's actuary terms made both teens' eyes glaze a little. Mr. Stoppable insisted that his son borrow his car to deliver the young lady home. The teens both understood that another evening spent in the Kings' downstairs den, so soon after the last, would be pushing things, so they contented themselves with a little light kissing in the warm car before Ron delivered his lady to her door and returned home.

This night, he sneaked into the back yard again. Before starting the ceremonial katas, he concentrated on those he wanted to protect: Kim, Tara, his parents and the Possibles. With increased power, he could help keep them safe. This time, under Chippy's guidance he performed all of the katas correct the first time. Feeling better about himself than he had in a long time, he again slept long and well.

* * *

Kim Possible was in a bit of a bind. She didn't like the idea of being amazed at a fellow teenager, but she found herself admiring Felix Renton. The redhead had found herself chairing the Christmas Dance Committee, which in reality meant that she got stuck doing most of the decorating. Of course, Ron was more than willing to pitch in and help her and that now meant Tara as well. As much as she suspected that the two blondes would be more interested in each other than in actually helping to decorate, she had to admit that the two could put aside the hormones and work hard when they wanted to. The real surprise had been Felix.

Being her date for the dance, he felt it his place to help her get the gym ready. He very quickly made it clear, through his actions rather than words, that he wasn't going to be relegated to do 'sympathy work'. The young man was as helpful as anyone. Not only that, it was clear that Felix didn't consider himself handicapped. He was extremely bright and looked upon any task that his physical condition made seem to be impossible for him to perform as a challenge not only to be solved, but to be savored. He was also extremely likable, talking about local teen life with the three long-term Middleton teens.

Furthermore, he had tricked his motorized wheelchair out to an incredible degree and, upon grilling from the other three teens, admitted that most such features were things he had invented himself. While most of the fancy features, like the articulated robot arms and high-power propulsion, were outside the financial reach of most people, he had made several modifications to the hand-powered chair he used at school. These modifications, like the stair-climbing wheels, were affordable, useful and patented under his name. Between Felix's unexpected but welcome capability, as well as the fact that Tara and Ron were more than ready to pitch in and help, decorating the gym didn't take anywhere near as long as Kim had thought it would. Since they now had some time to kill, they decided to hit Bueno Nacho for a quick meal. It was there, while talking over food of questionable nutritional value, that Kim and Felix started to talk about their parents' work.

"The goal is to make it possible for space stations to be completely automated," Felix told them. "Right now, the robotics technology is almost there, but the computer technology isn't up to the reasoning ability of a very intelligent monkey."

"Hey, no dissing Frederick," Ron complained. "He's a friend of mine!"

"You're friends with a monkey?" Tara asked him, an amused look on her face.

"Hey, you spend a little time on the space station with him, he kind of grows on you!" Ron declared.

"Well, he's back on Earth," Felix told him. "He's recovering."

"What's wrong with him?" Ron's tone and face showed concern.

"Low gravity is hard on the body," Felix said. "The bones and muscles degrade. He needs some time at regular gravity, exercising, so he gets his health back. That's why the center hired mom, to cut the time a living creature needs to be in space."

"Maybe I should visit him," Ron mused.

"If you can do simian physical therapy, the center will welcome you with open arms," Felix hold him. "He could use some rehab but nobody can find an expert on monkey physical activity."

"That might be my next semester's science project!" Ron's eyes flew wide. "Investigating how physical activity can enhance Frederick's physical recovery!"

"Oh, and I suppose you know an expert in monkey physical training?" Felix smirked.

"Well.." Ron rubbed the back of his head.

"You do?" Felix gasped in astonishment.

Ron was rescued by a familiar four tone chime from Kim's pocket.

"What's the Sitch?" She asked.

"Update on Fiske," Wade told her. It's within a week of the time I calculated for the monkey spirit to reach his castle. It could arrive any day. In addition, I'm monitoring the travel arrangements he's trying to organize. I calculate a ninety-eight percent chance that once he flees his castle, he's going to take his private jet from London to Addis Ababa, then take a smaller aircraft to Gondar. Finally, I can tell you that he's concentrating his research on several locations within the Semien Mountains."

"What's your recommendation?" Kim asked.

"Too early for you to move," Wade told her. "I'm assembling transportation assets in the area. When he moves, we'll be ready."

"Maybe we want to approach this one a little different?" Kim said. "Let's follow him. If he's searching for something, why don't we let him deal with the traps, snakes and other things?"

"It sounds sensible," Wade told her. "In the meantime, I'll keep monitoring. Wade out."

"How can you guys just sit here, knowing you could be heading halfway across the world in a day or so?" Felix asked.

"You go numb," Ron told him. "After awhile, it all just all blends together."

That evening, they all attended the dance. There was no live band, just a DJ, but everyone had a good time. At one point, the DJ played the Benny Goodman song, so Ron and Tara had to perform the latest rendition of their cheer routine. The crowd stood back and allowed the two the space they needed. At the end, the applause was incredible.

Kim was pleased to learn that Felix was a surprisingly capable dancer, spinning his chair and bouncing from wheel to wheel. While some of her friends were absent, most were present. Monique was present and was a fun source of the latest gossip. Of course, Kim danced a few dances with Ron as well as several other boys. As the evening wore on, she found herself sitting at a table and talking with both Monique and Tara. It felt good to have time for a little girl talk. Kim noticed Tara's hexagon and showed her own.

The two held their pendants up to each other. Kim's had a slightly more green hue, while there was more blue to Tara's.

"So the Chinese gave you these two for recovering the amulet?" Tara asked.

"If those are jade, they're valuable," Monique pointed out.

"They're jade and over a century old," Kim said. She looked at Tara. "Ron gave your folks papers from the Chinese, confirming that it's yours legally."

"It's that valuable?" She asked, putting her hand on it.

"If you ask Ron, it's right where it should be," Kim told her.

Tara suddenly giggled. "And Ron didn't have to pull it out of his..."

"Tara!" Kim shrieked.

"Am I missing something?" Monique asked.

"You're missing something that you'll never find out!" Kim snapped. "Anyway, Tara that was an awesome routine you came up with, so I'd like to hear some more from you about our squad routines. You really have an eye for that sort of thing."

"You usually have them worked out so well," Tara protested. "I don't want to upset things."

"Tara, you have a great eye for choreography, don't be shy! Talk to us, make suggestions! We're not going to bite your head off!" Kim told her friend.

The conversation was interrupted by Ron and Felix showing up, bringing soft drinks and a tray of snacks.

"Bricks of Fury Six was the greatest," Ron was insisting. "More bricks."

"Bricks of Fury Five," Felix countered. "Maybe not as many bricks overall, but the most in one scene."

"What can you expect from someone who's so delusional that he thinks Zombie Mayhem III was the pinnacle of video gamage?" Ron asked of the world at large "ZM II so completely overshadows the pale specter that came out later."

"Pu-lease," Felix snorted dismissively. "You can't have proper digital undead carnage without flamethrowers!"

Kim just shook her head while the two boys delivered the refreshments to the table. Why did male bonding always seem to involve insulting each other?

"So, what have the three loveliest ladies in the entire room been talking about while we've been getting them some refreshments?" Felix asked.

"We've been driving away the hordes of moonstruck boys with a folding chair," Monique told the new boy. "You're lucky your seats weren't taken."

"Gotcha there," Felix smirked at her. "I bring my chair with me!"

Monique looked a little uncomfortable but Kim just smiled and patted her date's shoulder. She had learned that Felix wasn't looking for sympathy, he was just trading witty banter. "Okay, I'll let that one go as long as Ron tells me his idea for our next year science project," Monique retorted, turning her gaze on the aforementioned boy.

"Simian body recovery after exposure to low gravity," Ron told her. "My good friend, Frederick the space monkey is back on earth after three months on a space station. In the past, the space center has put him through regular training and monitored his bone and muscle recovery. I happen to know an expert in monkey physical training. She's agreed to put him through a one hour workout every day and we'll see how this affects his recovery."

"How are you friends with a space monkey and how do you know a monkey physical training expert?" She demanded. "Wait, don't answer! I don't think I want to know. For that ridiculous story, you owe me this dance."

Ron first looked longingly at the finger sandwich in his hand, then with a pleading glance at his girlfriend. Tara had no mercy for him, nodding at Monique and nudging her boyfriend out of his chair. She swore there were tears in his eyes as he set the sandwich down on a paper plate. Still, he gamely offered Monique his arm and led her to the floor. Tara only had a few moments to feel smug, as Felix rolled up to her and offered his arm. Kim snickered at Tara's longing glance towards her soft drink as she accompanied Felix onto the floor.

The evening seemed to pass in a blur of dancing, snacking and chatting. It seemed all too early when the final dance was announced. As it was a slow song and dancing a slow song was still somewhat awkward despite Felix's control of his chair, she plopped down across his lap and let him twirl them around the floor. It seemed all too early when the music stopped and the lights came on. The DJ announced that the cleanup committee would meet at noon the following day before wishing everyone a good night.

Felix, along with Ron and most of the other boys, went out to warm up vehicles and pull them to the gym entrance so the girls wouldn't have to walk far through the cold on snow-covered streets and sidewalks. As much as Felix was very adaptable, it was still time consuming for him to get in and out of his chair, so Ron offered an arm each to Kim and Tara, escorting Kim to Felix's van before heading to his dad's car with his girlfriend. Soon, Felix had the two outside the Possible Home.

"Felix, I had a wonderful time today," she told her date, honest with both herself and him. "I don't just mean tonight, the whole day was fun. I would like to do something like this again sometime."

Before he could react, she leaned over and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before leaving the van. Felix remained until she opened her front door and stepped inside before driving away. She smiled as she made her way to her room. No, Felix wasn't the golden hottie that Josh had been, but maybe it was time to just enjoy herself in that regard. It was only a first date, but she wondered how things would play out as she crawled into bed and went to sleep.

To her pleasant surprise, Felix, Ron and Tara and Monique all joined in the cleanup effort the next day. Again, it was fun to chatter with friends while working. The work went very quickly and they were almost done when the Kimmunicator's chime sounded again.

"What's the sitch, Wade?" she asked.

"Fiske just cleared out of his castle," Wade informed her. "The British aviation authorities have received a flight clearance request for two hours from now and a clearance request is currently being submitted to Ethiopian Authorities."

"The spirit?" Kim asked.

"That's my guess," Wade confirmed. "I moved a drone into place. His monkeys opened all the doors, which is odd behavior for late December. They appear to be closing the doors at this time."

"What's your suggestion?" Kim asked.

"Your ride will be there in a few minutes," Wade told them. "I have your mission gear loaded. He might have a head start at the moment, but you can catch up. The sites he has been investigating will all require excavation. I will have you there before he gets in."

"Good enough," Kim told him. "Let our parents know that we're heading for Ethiopia."

A jet engine sounded outside the gym. Kim looked to Ron, who shared a quick kiss with Tara before joining her and running out the front door. Minutes later, they were flying to the southeast.

* * *

Lord Montgomery Fiske stepped out of his tent and greeted the chilly dawn with an irritated scowl. Even though he had been prepared to leave his castle once the spirit arrived; even though he had planned both his exit and his subsequent travel, when you peeled all the niceties away from the situation, he had been forced to flee his ancestral home.

Again.

Another offense for the cheerleader, the pretender and their handler to answer to.

He heaved a heavy sigh while the eight monkeys he had brought with him stirred themselves from their own tent. He didn't begrudge them their rest. They had been on the move constantly since leaving his mansion, driving to London, flying to Addis Ababa, hauling the gear from his aircraft to the smaller aircraft, flying to Gondar, then loading the three trucks for the drive into the mountains. In the last hours of daylight, it had taken the last of their energy to set up camp.

Now, he was impatient to start but he realized that haste would actually cost them time. He estimated that he had thirty five days of complete safety before the spirit would reach the northern areas of Ethiopia. After that, he would need to leave or, to be less generous, to flee again. He had used one day traveling here. He would invest another day setting up camp and preparing to unearth the subterranean space the ground penetrating radar had revealed.

He looked to the sky, wondering how long it would take before the abominable Mr. Lode brought Possible and her sidekick onto him. He honestly couldn't tell if he would welcome the chance to crush the two or would begrudge the inevitable delay such an encounter would inflict upon him.

"I shall set up the survey equipment," he told Tommy, who was lighting a camp stove. "Come get me when breakfast is ready. Where are the others?"

Tommy chittered at him, pointing in various directions.

"One on watch, two scouting the area, one digging a latrine and one to accompany me in case I need assistance," Fiske nodded. "Well done."

The Englishman picked up his GPS and marking stakes and stalked up the slope.

* * *

"It looks like Fiske is marking the dig site while the monkeys are taking care of mundane items," Wade reported. "You're about thirty miles out. I'll have you stop and deploy drones when you get within five."

Kim and Ron were more than a little tired after flying and driving all night. Currently, Kim was taking her turn behind the wheel of the Land Rover. They were pulling a trailer and both the vehicle and the trailer were loaded down with equipment, in case the stay turned into a long one. It was rough country, so covering the twenty five miles and finding a concealed place to stop took close to three hours. Once in position, they deployed several of Wade's stealth drones. While one drone circled the immediate area, the others flew towards Fiske's camp. The teens watched the feed from the drones' cameras.

* * *

It didn't take Monty long to stake out the point where the underground hollow was closest to the surface. By then, breakfast was ready and he gathered his monkeys, except for the one on watch, to provide instructions. Upon completing the meal, two monkeys took up picks and shovels and started to dig into the hillside. It was a horizontal shaft, which needed to be braced to ensure it wouldn't collapse. Every couple of hours, he rotated the monkeys performing the excavation, keeping fresh paws at work.

Through the evening hours, his minions continued their labors, driving further into the hillside. Fiske called a halt when the sun went down, knowing that his monkeys would work better, in the long term, if he kept them adequately rested and fed. Tommy arranged the guards for the night, they all had a hearty dinner, then it was time for bed.

* * *

"It looks like Fiske got a good start on his digging," Wade reported, as he consulted with his friends. They were all viewing readouts and camera feeds. "If he maintains this pace, he will reach the hollow sometime around mid-morning tomorrow."

Kim was impressed with the equipment Wade provided. A generator, which utilized a power source she didn't want to think about, produced enough electricity for their own use and to maintain a small fleet of drones. The drones were constantly rotating, half charging while the active ones maintained surveillance on Fiske's camp and patrolled the teens' camp. The two had just finished their own dinner and were getting ready to bed down, glad that Wades drones and sensors wouldn't require one of them to remain awake.

Before crawling into his sleeping bag, Ron found a relatively flat piece of ground and performed some katas. Kim approved, as they would keep him limber and ready for action. She recognized the one that had inadvertently redirected the spirit now pursuing Fiske. The other three, she didn't recognize. In the growing darkness, she didn't notice the shudder and look of joy on his face when he completed the last, and most intricate series of maneuvers.

* * *

By the time the sun cleared the eastern horizon, Montgomery Fiske had his monkeys back at work. By ten o'clock in the morning, they had reached an underground stone wall. Under his direction, the monkeys took another hour to clear away sufficient room to break in. Rather than simply remove stone blocks, he had them drill two holes and force an air tube into one. Fiske was no fool; he would ventilate the space completely before going inside.

* * *

"Another day down, guys," Wade reported, showing the camera feeds. "He's making sure there's enough air. I'm willing to bet he will break in when the sun comes back up."

While bored, Kim and Ron agreed to wait. They couldn't apprehend him until he actually tried to steal something.

* * *

Another dawn in Ethiopia saw Lord Fiske energized and ready. The tomb had several hours to air out, so he was ready to enter. Under his direction, his monkeys removed enough blocks to allow two of their number, armed with flashlights, to creep inside. Fiske followed, finding himself in a long tunnel with both sealed openings and open archways to either side.

"The sealed openings are undoubtedly tombs," Fiske told Tommy. "We will open them last. In the meantime, we will carefully investigate everything we can access without actually disturbing anything."

Fiske and his monkeys carefully explored the open areas, finding what appeared to be stone-working and metalworking tools as well as stone tablets and papyrus writings that had long ago crumbled to dust. It took time, but Fiske and his monkeys did not find any of the artifacts that they were searching for.

"I suspect that the wizards, mystics and wise men who once worked here were interred here, as well," Fiske told his subjects. "Any wards that were not given to the royal family were probably secured upon there persons after death. We will return to the sealed opening nearest the entrance we have made and open it. It is distasteful, but we must now search the long dead."

Fiske led the way back to the entrance and picked the seal he wished to break. He ordered one monkey, with a hammer and chisel, forward. The small primate had just set the chisel to the stone and hefted the hammer when a voice called out from the recently excavated entrance.

"Robbing the dead, Monty? That's low even for you!"

Fiske spun around. "Ah, the cheerleader and the pretender! How did you reach me unawares?"

"Took out your two guards before rushing in," Ron answered. "We've been sitting here watching you for the last two hours. It wasn't until you actually said that you intended on breaking into the graves and robbing them, and we recorded it, that we could alert the authorities."

"Of course, we'll be long gone before such authorities show up," Fiske snarled at the teens. "Monkey ninjas, attack!"

To Kim's surprise, Ron jumped forward to meet the monkeys. While the two teens could stand side-by-side in the narrow tunnel, there wasn't enough room to fight side by side. The advantage of the tight quarters was that the monkeys couldn't swarm Ron in the narrow confines. She was shocked to see him more than holding his own. Of the six monkeys in the catacombs, three had gone down hard when Fiske himself surged forward.

"Ron, get back," Kim hissed at her friend, knowing he wasn't at Fiske's level. But it was too late, they had already started to trade blows.

Fiske came on with a powerful front thrust kick and a double punch. Ron parried the kick with a flick of one leg, then blocked both punches and managed a front snap kick, which Fiske blocked, and a quick punch, which landed on Fiske's chin and staggered him backwards. Ron moved forward, not letting Fiske set himself.

Fiske was a very crafty fighter. He jumped forwards, absorbing a painful punch to his stomach, and seized his teenage opponent with all four appendages. He then dropped to his back and threw the young man over him, into the midst of his remaining monkeys. He continued his backwards somersault, rolling over the monkeys Ron had previously incapacitated, and sprang to his feet to face Possible.

Concerned for Ron, Kim rushed Fiske and landed a solid kick to his torso, forcing him to stumble backwards. Kim rushed over the fallen monkeys, keeping the pressure on her foe, punching twice. One landed, but Fiske caught her lead leg with one of his feet and Kim couldn't shake off her larger and stronger opponent. He pulled her off-balance and unleashed a double punch. While she managed to parry both punches, they grazed her ribs, inflicting bruises. She was still quicker than him and managed a knife-hand strike against the leg that was holding hers. He released her and she sprang back slightly, only to feel monkey tails wrap around her legs. Too late, she remembered the monkeys she had stepped over while advancing.

Fiske bull-rushed her and she wasn't able to avoid him. He tackled her to the ground and astride her chest, threw punches at her face. She was barely able to block them. Angered, he seized one of her wrists with a hand and the other with a foot.

"Now it ends, Kimberly," he told her with a smile. "You will be finished, then I eliminate the pretender."

He drew back his fist, only to be interrupted by shrieks and a cold hand grabbing the back of his neck.

When Fiske threw Ron, the remaining monkeys swarmed on him. Just a few weeks ago, they may have been able to restrain him, but he was much more capable now. The thrashed free of the simians and landed a hard punch to a monkey's head. He jumped to his feet, only to have a monkey tail trip him from behind while another monkey kicked him in the stomach. He stumbled back against a sealed entrance, but managed to kick the monkey who had just kicked him. The small primate crashed against the far wall and slumped to the floor. The monkey that had tripped Ron swung a hammer at the boy. Ron ducked and the hammer shattered the seal.

It was a ghost. That's all that went through Ron's head as a pale figure flew out through the shattered seal over his head with a shriek that made every hair on his body stand on end. Two more flew out after the first. The first two ghosts ignored him and soared towards the mouth of the tunnel while the third turned and leered, with a withered face, at the boy and the simian. Ron and the remaining monkey simply stared at each other in a sort of horrified comradeship, somehow knowing that something far beyond either of them was now in play.

The last ghost reached for Ron. He tried to block the immaterial hands, but his arms passed right through the transparent appendages and the ghostly hands seized him by the neck. Suddenly, he felt colder than he ever had in his life. He couldn't move, he could only scream in pain and horror.

The lead ghost grabbed Fiske. The Englishman shrieked and staggered to his feet. His monkeys released Kim and tried to pull their master out of the supernatural creature's grip. Fiske seemed unable to move on his own, but his minions managed to pull him towards the entrance. The second ghost reached for Kim, but its hand seemed to burn when it touched her. Kim felt very cold, but she could still function. The ghost shied slightly away from her. She didn't have much time to wonder why, as she heard Ron's scream.

She didn't think, she rushed towards her friend. She punched the ghost that had attacked her and while her fist felt cold, it seemed to burn the spirit. It erupted in flames that gave no heat. Kim had no time to wonder, her friend needed her. Feeling a slight pain on her chest, she rushed forward and kicked the ghost that was strangling her best friend. Again, her foot and leg felt suddenly cold, but the ghost erupted in heat-less flame. Again, she felt a slight pain on her chest.

Ron was in no condition to fight; his eyes were wide in terror and he was shivering uncontrollably. She got one of his arms over her shoulders and got him moving towards the entrance. It was slow going but she had a great deal of motivation to get out of the tomb and into the sun. Halfway back to the opening, she noted that the first ghost had released Fiske when the monkeys pulled him out of the tomb proper. It turned upon the teens and swept forward. She shoved Ron against the tunnel wall and lashed out with another punch. For the last time, her appendage felt suddenly chilled, a slight pain irritated her chest and another ghost was consumed by ethereal flame. Its final, hollow shrieked faded away into silence.

She grabbed her friend and half-carried, half-dragged him out of the entrance and into the light. The sunlight seemed to rally him a little; he was able to walk on his own. Ahead, the monkeys that had escaped the tomb pushed Fiske into one of his trucks and drove away. Kim, exhausted and supporting an obviously incapacitated friend, was in no condition to pursue. Instead, she called Wade.

"I'm looking for anything that can help," the boy told her. "But I don't have any references to his condition. The only thing I can say for the moment is keep him in the sunlight. If it rallied him, it might bring him back the rest of the way. Also, some authorities are on their way, if they encounter Fiske, they'll arrest him."

Kim was too tired to speak, she could only nod to her friend so far away. She looked to Ron. Her best friend had always been pale complexioned, but now he was almost bleach-white. His face was regaining a little color now that he was in the sun. Working a hunch she yanked off his shirt. His torso was deathly pale but started to regain a little color. With the increased exposure to sunlight, Ron seemed to gain a little energy, even though he was still cold and terrified. With Ron seeming to be recovering, she pulled the collar of her shirt down to examine the pain she had felt during the fighting.

She had forgotten that she was still wearing her jade hexagon. The flesh upon which it rested was bright red, like it had been sunburned. She suddenly felt suspicious and called Wade again.

"Wade," she told him. "I want you to get some more information on the jewelry the Chinese gave me. I think mine just saved our lives."

Ron was able to walk and talk by the time the authorities arrived, two hours later, although he and Kim refused to return to the tomb. They answered questions while researchers went inside and recovered the bodies of two of Fiske's monkeys. After that the authorities, who included some sort of religious man, resealed the tomb. One of the law enforcement officials gave the teens a ride to their own camp, where they decided to rest the night before embarking on the long drive to Addis Ababa, and an even longer flight home.

While Ron whimpered in his sleep a little, he seemed recovered enough to drive by the morning. He refused to talk about what he had gone through. Halfway through the drive to the capitol, Wade contacted them.

"Fiske got onto his aircraft and set course for Manila," the youngster reported. "I'll try to track him from there. Right now, I think he's just getting as much distance between him and the spirit as possible."

"Thanks, Wade," Kim said, from the passengers seat. She sighed, unable to call this adventure either a loss or a win. At least they were heading home.

Finally, they reached the airport and trudged aboard an experimental jet aircraft. It lifted off and set course for the northwest. A tall, hooded figure watched it fly into the distance.

Lord Montgomery Fiske allowed a small smile of satisfaction to crease his lips. Earlier, he had instructed three of his monkeys to climb on each others shoulders, throw a hooded cloak over themselves and trudge into his aircraft. The vehicle itself was now on its way to Manila and once there, it would refuel and set course to Sydney. Hopefully it would take the attention of the abominably clever Mr. Lode with it.

Montgomery Fiske was now unobserved, off of the grid and had another thirty days to search other sites he had earmarked in this nation, before the spirit would arrive. Now, without interference from the teenage pests, he expected success.

* * *

 _Again, thanks for reading. I post this on Thanksgiving Day, 2016, so I wish everyone who reads this a joyous Thanksgiving, spent with friends and family._

 _Fondest thanks to Joe Stoppinghem for his beta reading._


	9. Chapter 9

"Are you going to be okay?" Kim was very concerned about her best friend. During the parachute drop from the aircraft to her house, he hadn't screamed or cheered. He showed no real emotion.

"Yeah, just a little tired and cold," he told her.

Kim watched him shiver a bit as he stuffed his chute into the bag. That done, he put his backpack on his shoulders, lifted the parachute and hauled it to the Possibles' front step. Kim followed suit, wondering how Wade arranged for such equipment to be picked up.

"Do you want to crash here tonight?" Kim asked him. "I know your 'rents are out of town again. You might not want to be alone."

"Rufus will be there," Ron said. He wasn't about to say that Chippy was there as well.

"Ron, come off of it!" She finally lost her patience with him. "You're still shook up and it's probably due to that...ghost...grabbing you. Being in the sunlight seems to help you but this far north in the Winter, we don't get very much sun. Don't you want someone with you in case..."

"I SAID I'M FINE!" Ron snapped.

Kim stepped back, but only for a moment. "You sure don't act fine!"

"So what is it now?" He demanded. "I'm not allowed to be grouchy, or tired or just in a bad mood?" He glared at her. "I have to always be joking and always be the buffoon?"

"NO!" Kim snapped back at him. "But that's what you usually do, so when you don't, I know that something's wrong! Now I know, you're tired and in a bad mood! That's fine, what do you want to do?"

"I just want to go home and go to bed," he told her. "Yes, I know that it's only five, but I haven't slept well. If I'm not feeling any better in the morning, I'll let you know."

"Okay, but I'm calling tomorrow morning," she told him. "I'm worried about you! It's not supposed to mean that you're helpless, it's supposed to mean that you took some hard lumps out there and I'm worried about you!"

"Okay, fine," Ron said, his voice now very soft. "I understand and I'm sorry. I just...want to be alone for a little bit."

Kim nodded and her friend walked away.

Going inside her house, the redhead made her way to her room. After several days in the field, a long shower was in order; it would be good for her and anyone near her. Her Kimmunicator chirped.

"Talk fast, Wade," she instructed. "The shower is calling me and I care too much for the planet to keep it waiting very long."

"I've been checking on those jade medallions," the youngster told her.

"Go."

"I found out that they were carved by a group of of monks from a very ancient order. It's a fairly reclusive bunch. While the medallions themselves are just over a century old, the order is close to three thousand years old. It traces its roots back to a small group who had traveled into the west to study and teach among other mystics, then returned to China."

"You don't suppose..." Kim prompted.

"There's a very good chance that these monks studied and taught at King Solomon's Temple. If the order has kept their traditions and learning, it would explain why you were able to defeat the ghosts in the tomb."

"Is there any way to know if the charms will work against the monkey spirit that's after Monkey fist?" Kim asked.

"Not without some fairy dangerous experimentation," Wade admitted. He smiled without humor. "We could just give him your medallion and tell him to go fight the spirit. If it works, the spirit will be gone. If it doesn't, the spirit will be gone after he is."

"Wade, I would prefer that you didn't have an expression that cruel on your face until you're older," Kim told him, picking out her clothing for after her shower. "In fact, I don't want that kind of an expression on my face until I'm older."

"What can I say, I'm a prodigy," Wade's smile was now much more pleasant. "I understand that Ron gave his to Tara. Any chance of him getting it back?"

"Not likely," Kim told him. "Oh, I'm sure that she'll offer to give it back but he wont accept."

"Maybe we can work on it just a bit," Wade suggested. "If you run into more issues like you just did, some additional protection could be a lifesaver."

"I think that's an issue for another day," Kim told him. "Anything else? Right now the shower is calling to me again and my will to resist is getting very weak."

"Enjoy yourself," he told her. "Wade out."

For once, Kim had the entire house to herself so she was able to take a very leisurely shower. Afterwards, she found a stick and used it to scoop her dirty clothing into the wash machine. Now that the bio-hazards had been taken care of, she ambled to the kitchen. Her legendary bad luck in such a room notwithstanding, Kim was perfectly capable of heating up a can of soup and making a sandwich. With rations in hand, her next stop was the den and its comfortable couch. She looked at the clock and realized that it was only six P.M.

With a smile that was both clever and thoughtful, she called Tara and let the blonde know that Ron was both back in town and feeling a little down. After that, she turned on one of the episodes of Agony County that she had missed while in Africa. Halfway through the show, the phone rang. Grumbling a bit at the interruption, she paused the show and answered.

"Hey Kim," Felix responded to her greeting.

"Oh, hi!" Absentmindedly, Kim twirled a lock of her hair around a finger.

"I'm having a little get together with friends for New Years Eve the day after tomorrow," he told her. "My mother's going to be at the Space Center party with your folks, and I was wondering if you'd like to come."

"Who all will be there?" She asked.

"Well, you're the first I've asked," he told her. "But I was thinking of inviting Ron, Tara and Monique. I was hoping to pick your brain for other people to invite."

"How many people could show up and not overcrowd the house?" She asked.

"I'd say we can fit a dozen, easy enough," he told her.

"Okay, I could only suggest the rest of my cheer squad and any dates they may have," Kim suggested.

"That's good," Felix said. "But that leave two questions. First, would you like to come and second, would you call the squad members? It may seem creepy if I do it."

"Yes to both," she smiled. "What all will be going on?"

"I'll have movies, video games, food and soft drinks," he told her. "We have a basketball court out in the driveway and there will be a dance floor and a solid stereo system. After that, I'm open to suggestions."

"They sound great," Kim told him. "Tell you what, let me make the calls and texts and see what kind of responses I get."

"Thanks, Kim," he told her. "I appreciate it."

Kim decided to go for a mass text of all the cheer members. While some would have other plans, at least one or two were sure to make the party. She paused a moment and decided to wait until tomorrow morning before texting Tara and Ron. She was sure that Tara would want a little time with her best friend after going without for several days that they should have had to themselves.

* * *

Ron was very tired but feeling considerably better. While he had been able to do his ceremonial katas the first night in the field, he had not been able to for the rest of the trip. As a result, he hadn't been able to sleep well and had been irritable when they finally confronted Fiske and his monkeys. After the episode with the ghosts, he had felt drained, like all joy had been pulled out of the world. Now, with the clock reaching seven at night and his katas all performed properly, the energy surge he felt had taken away most of his melancholy and his irritability. Now it was time for food, a shower and bed.

The doorbell rang has he stepped inside. Grumbling to himself, he stumped to the door and threw it open to confront...

His girlfriend.

Tara set a covered box down and threw herself into his arms, planting a massive kiss on him. It took him a few seconds to realize what was happening. Once he came to his senses, he wrapped his arms around her waist, held her tight and returned the kiss. When they finally broke for air, he realized that they were standing in a cold, open doorway while a warm house beckoned behind them. He released her and tried to pull her inside after him. She resisted long enough to grab the box, then came in.

"Kim said you were back and that you had a rough time," she told him. "So I brought over some chili and cornbread."

She pulled back the towel covering the box, allowing the smells to waft out.

"Tara, I truly love you," he said, staring at the goodies. "I mean it, I have never loved anyone the way I love you right now."

"Well, show it by taking a shower before we eat," she told him, giving his shoulder a playful swat. "I'm serious, you need it and you'll feel better. I can guess my way around your kitchen well enough."

Ron realized that she had a point. With the busy last couple of days in the back country, he hadn't realized just how ripe he had become. Come to think of it, Chippy had been careful to stay upwind of him during the katas.

If his body odor could offend a monkey outside, what was it doing to his girlfriend?

"Right," he agreed. "Coat hooks are right behind you." Ron scampered off upstairs, not wanting any more close proximity to his girlfriend just now.

Tara could only giggle as he ran off. She took off her coat, hung it on one of the previously indicated hooks and kicked off her boots, leaving them with other such footwear near the front door. Scooping up her box of food, she padded to the Stoppable kitchen. Soon, the kettle of chili was on a low burner and the cornbread was in the oven on a very low bake. A slight tugging ran up one pants leg and then her shirt. She turned her head and sure enough, Rufus was perched on her shoulder. The little guy pointed at the refrigerator and squeaked in such a way that she swore she could almost understand him.

She opened the refrigerator and the naked mole rat ran down her arm and pointed her hand to a large bottle of apple cider. After this, he directed her to a cabinet that held spices and grabbed some cloves.

"Hot, spiced cider on a cold night?" She asked her small companion. The little guy nodded. "Rufus, I like how you think! You are one very smart, little friend!"

With the rodent helping her, she soon had a pot of the apple-derived beverage heating and gaining flavor on the oven. The kitchen table was set for two humans and a rodent when Ron showed up from his shower.

Tara's breath caught when she saw her boyfriend. He was barefoot, wearing sweat pants and an under-armor shirt that showed off his developing pectorals and abdomen very well. He wasn't, and probably never would be ripped, but his lean build appealed to her. He simply stared at her.

* * *

Ron walked into the kitchen and stopped, transfixed. His girlfriend was wearing jeans and a flannel shirt as she bustled about the kitchen with Rufus on her shoulder and her long, blonde hair flowing down her back. He remembered something an uncle had said at a family function, when the older man didn't think any of the younger generation was listening; that there was nothing quite so alluring as a woman who was comfortable with herself. Ron had seen Tara in her cheerleader uniform, in athletic wear and even dressed up for dates. He had never seen her so beautiful as when she was just being herself. Then, Tara turned and saw him and her eyes seemed to light up...for him.

He stepped forward and so did she. All of his senses were assaulted, the sight of her as her arms went around his neck, the feel of the feminine form in his arms, her lips on his. The scent of the light perfume she wore, plus the smell of hot food when he knew it was icy cold and dark outside, made his mind reel. The taste of her tongue on his left him weak in the knees. Finally, the sound of Rufus sighing "awww, that's so cute" brought him back to his senses.

Both teens blushed a little as they served up the simple meal. There was something so primal and enjoyable about sitting next to each other and enjoying the food and working together to wash the dishes later that seemed so proper and comfortable. Afterwards, they went to the living room to snuggle up on the couch and watch a movie. Again, there was something so right about cuddling up with her that relaxed him. It had been a rough several days, and his eyelids immediately started to droop.

Tara was perfectly comfortable, lying on the couch with her boyfriend spooned up behind her. She knew that he was drifting off to sleep, but she finished watching the movie. Once it was done, she slipped carefully out of his arms, careful not to wake him. They had been cuddled under an afghan, which she now tucked around his sleeping form. She then recovered her boots and tripped the remote start on her father's pickup. She found a pencil and some paper, wrote a note for him and tucked it into his hand before giving him a peck on the cheek and slipping out of the door for home.

She did not notice the dark-clad figure that watched her leave the house and climb into the vehicle. She did not notice the figure sneak silently to cling to the end-gate as she drove home. Once home, she did not see the figure watch her go into her house. Once she was inside, the figure vanished into the night.

* * *

Ron woke up in a much better mood than he had been in the previous morning. His katas had done a great deal to put him in a good mood, actually being clean improved his attitude and a meal and cuddling with his girlfriend...Oh no! Had he actually fallen asleep with Tara?

He opened his eyes and realized that he was still on the couch and his girlfriend was nowhere to be seen. He quickly noted that her coat and boots were gone. Realizing the faux pas he had committed last night, he buried his face in his hands, only to realize that one of his hands had a note in it. He looked at the note and read her handwriting, in which she told him that his falling asleep wasn't offensive, and that she knew he was exhausted and was flattered the he felt so comfortable with her that he became so relaxed.

"Rufus," he spoke to his buddy. "How did I manage to wind up with someone this wonderful?"

The little guy just shrugged his shoulders.

Ron put such thoughts out of his mind for a short time. It was time to spar with Chippy. He went outside and went through a grueling two hour session with the monkey. Recently, Wade had acquired weapons: bo, coma, and sai for the simian, forcing Ron to better himself when facing his well-trained but small training partner. Ron had some interesting bruises on his forearms by the time they were done, but Chippy informed him that his improvement continued to be impressive.

After sparing, they both dressed in warm clothing and Ron accompanied the monkey on the Middleton Mass Transit system, making sure she knew how to ride the buses to get to the space center. While Chippy's vocal chords didn't allow her to speak any human language, she was perfectly capable of reading English...even if she used extra o's when she wrote it. She was able to read the bus schedules, pick the correct ones and deposit the proper fare to get to her goal.

Once they showed up, it only took a few minutes before Dr. James Possible showed up to collect the young man and his companion.

"Hello, Ronald," he greeted the boy. "We don't see as much of you as we used to. How are you doing?"

"Just fine, Mr. Dr. P." He told the older man.

"And is this the expert is simian physical fitness that you told me about?" He asked, looking at Chippy.

"This is her," Ron assured him. "Her name is Chippy and she's ready to start."

"Very well," James shrugged, leading the way into the facility. "Frederick should be finishing a flight simulation. He tires very easily, as he isn't used to the gravity. It usually takes him several months to recover, so we're very interested to see if this little lady here can speed up his recovery time."

They walked through the various levels of security and finally reached the simulator as Frederick stepped out. The monkey's face brightened when he saw Ron and he knuckle-walked up to the boy and shared a warm embrace. Upon releasing the boy, he hit several buttons on his suit.

"Hello, Friend." An emotionless voice announced from a speaker on his suit.

"You can talk to me now," Ron assured him.

Fredrick chittered a little at the boy.

"It's nice to see you again, as well," Ron told him. "I've brought a trainer to help you get your strength back.

James watched and listened, bemused, as the three had and extended conversation, with only Ron's remarks comprehensible to him.

"Mr. Dr. P," Ron finally addressed the scientist. "Chippy and Frederick would like to run through a short workout now. After that, they can schedule it every day."

"That will work," Dr. Possible nodded. He led the way to the employee fitness center.

Frederick's space attire was not suitable for a workout, so he left to put on something more appropriate while Chippy and Ron cleared a corner of the room. When Frederick returned, Chippy halted him with a squeak and a short series of chitters. The space monkey looked to Ron, who nodded. To James' further amusement, Frederick offered the corner a short bow before entering. Once he was in the workout area, Chippy started him on a series of stretches, doing the exercises herself while he followed suit. After the stretches came calisthenics. After the calisthenics came...

"Ronald," James asked the young man. "I'm no expert, but is Chippy teaching Frederick martial arts?"

"It's a form of Kung-Fu," Ron nodded.

"What's the point of learning self defense?" James further inquired. "He's alone on the station."

"It's great exercise," Ron told him. "Don't worry, Chippy is very good at starting monkeys from a beginner's level and working them up to be very capable. Frederick will be very sore tomorrow morning, but he'll get in shape."

The rocket scientist watched as Chippy worked Frederick through basic stances and movements. By this time, Frederick was clearly showing some fatigue. Chippy noted it as well and called a halt to the workout. Under her direction, the two bowed to each other before bowing to the corner of the fitness center.

"Well, what do you think?" Ron asked the doctor.

"Let's try it," he decided. "We'll arrange to cover transportation costs and payment for Chippy. I'm no expert, but I'd like to see where this goes."

Ron shared a warm embrace with Frederick before accompanying Chippy back to his home.

"Do you mind doing this?" Ron asked his monkey. Chippy seemed confused by the question, but assured him that she would enjoy getting out of the house every day and associating with another monkey. With the simian situation, as well as next semester's science project, well in hand he faced the next order of business.

"What's up, Ron?" Wade answered the call. "Are you feeling any better?"

"Lots," Ron told him. "Wade, I need another favor. I'm still not up to facing Fiske and his monkeys."

"Ron, I told you that I haven't been able to determine the side effects of the ceremonial katas," Wade protested. "We don't know what they may do to you."

"What could be the worst?" Ron protested. "Maybe I grow a little hair someplace that I shouldn't? Maybe I enjoy climbing trees or start eating more fruit? What can happen?"

"I don't know and that's what scares me!" Wade countered. "Why do you want more?"

"We got lucky again," Ron admitted. "If those ghosts hadn't gotten free when they did, Fiske and his monkeys would have killed us! I need to be able to match him."

"Can't you just work with what you have?" Wade asked. "I've talked to the Sensei at Kim's dojo. He says you're improving at an incredible rate."

"But that rate isn't fast enough!" Ron insisted. "I'm still out-classed and I don't have the time to do it the old fashioned way! Wade, what happens if something happens to Kim because I couldn't hold up my end? What happens if the bad guys come here again? I have to get better and get better fast!"

There was silence on the line for close to a minute. Ron swore he could hear the gears in Wade's head working, balancing risks and benefits. Finally...

"Okay, I'm not going to give you another ceremonial kata," Wade told him. "But I'll give you a meditation routine. It's supposed to help you enhance the skills and strengths you've already mastered."

"So why haven't you already given this to me?" Ron demanded.

"There's possible side effects," Wade protested. "I want you to be on the lookout for them."

"Okay, what are the problems?" Ron asked.

"Enhancement of the problems you may already be experiencing," Wade told him. "There may be excessive body hair, you may start to grow fur."

"I only shave once a week," Ron pointed out. "I don't think that's a problem."

"Possible minor body alterations," Wade continued. "You could take on something of a Monkey aspect."

"Like Kim when the Amulet affected her?" Ron asked. "Or even Monkeyfist himself?"

"Hard to say," Wade admitted. "The final possible side effect is a disinterest towards mundane items. You may no longer feel any real interest in things that don't concern you anymore."

"Uh, Wade?" Ron pointed out. "Isn't that just repeating the obvious? I don't feel interest in things that don't concern me."

"Think of school," Wade countered. "Last year, I know you were just going through the motions. If you were to be affected by the katas, which are enhanced by the meditations, it might have become impossible for anyone to get you to show any interest, or put in any effort, towards your schoolwork."

"Or towards missions that I don't think are important?" Ron asked.

"Exactly," Wade told him. "Ron, I hate to say this, but you don't know what's best for you yet. You need to sort of try a little of everything before you're ready to set your course in life. That's why these ceremonies were historically only performed by adults who had already chosen to become fighting monks."

"But I'm the one here, now, with the Mystical Monkey Power," Ron told him. "Keep an eye on me, Wade. If I start to go batty...or monkey-ey...let me know and I'll back off."

"Sounds good to me," Wade told him. "Now please, enjoy the rest of the day."

The next order of business was to call Tara, apologize for falling asleep last night and to make sure they were good for the party Kim had texted him about earlier. Tara spent a lot of time on the phone giggling about last night, assuring him that one of the reasons she had come over was to try to cuddle him off to sleep. She also admitted that a couple of aunts and uncles were visiting them at the moment and although she was good for the party tomorrow night, family wanted to spend time with her right now.

Ron was a little disappointed that he couldn't spend more time with his girlfriend, but decided that he had other things to keep him occupied. He texted both Kim and Felix, letting them know that he and Tara would be at the party. He even offered to show up early and help set up. Kim quickly contacted him back, asking if he was up for some sparring. Ron decided that if he couldn't spend time with his girlfriend, sparring with his best friend was a pretty good alternative.

* * *

Lord Montgomery Fiske looked to the sky, wondering if he would be able to detect a drone even if one were overhead. He stayed under the cover of an awning whenever possible, but sometimes he had to come out and supervise the workers he had hired. They weren't the trained and organized monkeys that he was used to, but they were stronger and had more endurance. Still, every time he exposed his face to the sky, he risked detection. If Mr. Lode had not yet figured out he had not left on his aircraft, it wouldn't be much longer. Even without the threat that Mr. Lode represented, there was only so much time before the spirit would be close enough to prompt him to flee.

Shouts called out from the dig site, prompting the Englishman to put on a large hat rush to investigate. Sure enough, the workers had uncovered bricks, indicating a collapsed and ancient building. Fiske provided quick instructions, directing the workers to expand rather than deepen the excavation at this time, to determine the size of the long forgotten structure. Fiske had learned from his last misadventure; he had no intention of braving the supernatural guardians of an intact, ancient tomb. He would now excavate collapsed structures, hoping to find wards against spirits among ruins that no longer held their dead.

He stayed for the better part of an hour, making sure that the workers were executing the instructions as per his wishes, before returning to his tent. Once there, he continued to plan what he would do next. The problem with items of protection was that there was only one real way to test their effectiveness...and if they proved ineffective, he would have no additional chances. Still, there was at least a chance of such a medallion or other ward protecting him from his hunter.

He decided that he would devote an additional ten days at this site. If he was unable to find an item of protection here, he would move on to another promising site. Once he was done in Ethiopia, perhaps another run to Burma would be in order. A visit to the museum that started the problem with the spirit might be in order. If nothing else, a visit to a previous criminal location would be most unexpected. Perhaps more information on the spirit could prove helpful, then it would be time for his revenge.

* * *

 _Again, thanks for reading. Appreciation to Joe Stoppinghem for his beta reading. Until my next update, best wishes to all._

 _daccu65_


	10. Chapter 10

"I've got some bad news, guys," Wade told his friends, via the Kimmunicator. Kim and Ron were at the Rentons' House, helping Felix prepare for the party.

"Bad as in we're going to have a lousy party, or bad as in something is going to be painful?" Ron asked.

"Potentially painful," Wade informed them. "Fiske has given me the slip."

"What?" Kim demanded. "I thought you had eyes on him."

"He fooled me," the young genius admitted. "At this time, it appears that what I thought was Fiske in Sydney was actually a number of his monkeys piled up under a cloak. I'm reviewing footage to see if it was him or monkeys I recorded in Manila. There's a chance that he never left Ethiopia. Bottom line up front guys, he could be just about anywhere at this time."

"He's smart," Kim acknowledged. "We should have known that he would do something clever. Just do your best, Wade. We'll just have to deal with him wherever he shows up."

"I'll keep you up to date," Wade promised. "Have a good time!"

Kim and Ron shared a look, they now had a major villain, who wanted revenge on them, unaccounted for. It seemed a typical Thursday. Shrugging, they pitched in and helped Felix and Tara with the party preparations.

Preparing for a party in a house full of cybernetic robot technology didn't take long. The guest teens were amazed at the number of articulated arms that would suddenly emerge from the walls or ceilings and perform mundane tasks like moving furniture or cleaning. While Ron insisted that a human work on the food, the rest of the tasks were done in record time, allowing the four teens some time before the next guests arrived. Felix suggested that they spend it playing basketball, even though it was starting to snow.

The other three teens looked on, impressed, as blowers appeared around the driveway, blowing away the falling snow and raising the temperature from ice cold to simply chilly. With his motorized wheelchair, Felix was a surprisingly capable player. Kim suggested a boys vs girls game but Tara suggested that she and Ron form a team against the other two. Kim caught her friend's sly grin; Tara was suggesting that it was a couple vs couple game.

Kim didn't consider herself a couple with Felix...at least not yet. Still, she liked the young man enough to not feel uncomfortable with the way the teams were arranged. Instead, she quickly lost herself in the competition. Ron had become much more physically capable and Tara was, of course, an excellent athlete. Kim herself was at the peak of physical fitness while Felix was very capable. All told, it was a very competitive game. The first of the next guests to arrive were Jess and Steve. Instead of going in to enjoy other activities, the two joined in the fun. By the time Monique showed up, nobody really remembered what the score was but they all decided to head inside, anyway.

Kevin Guberman, a friend of both Felix and Ron, showed up next. Jess cranked up some tunes and got Steve out onto the makeshift dance floor. Liz and her date showed up and joined the pair before Steve felt too self-conscious. Kevin, Ron and Felix did some zombie bashing on a large screen TV while Monique regaled Kim and Tara with the latest gossip.

Somewhat to Kim's surprise, Bonnie showed up. Even more surprising, she was dateless. Tara broke off the gossip session and directed her friend to the snack table. While Bonnie wasn't acting overly dramatic, she was clearly upset about something. Kim suspected that her dateless status might have something to do with her current irritation.

Justine Flanner showed up, apparently another friend of Felix's, leaving Kim wondering if budding geniuses could somehow detect each others brain waves and establish friendships in a matter of days. It was a huge shock to the redhead, and her blonde best friend, when Wade, in person, ambled in the door. Kim and Ron had just engaged their good friend in a rare, face-to face conversation when Kim's cousin Larry also showed up. All in all, it was a rare blending of jocks and brains at the Renton Home, but there appeared to be no tension in the gathering.

Video games were played, a movie was on another screen. Loud music blared while some teens danced and others simply talked. A few shot baskets outside, even though the snowfall was building into a blizzard, while everyone made the occasional pass by the snack table. At some point, everyone got off of the dance floor and talked Ron and Tara into doing their mascot routine. Everyone applauded the two blondes and Kim saw both Jess and Liz get their dates onto the floor and have Tara and Ron show some of their moves to them.

At one point, Kim found herself teamed with Felix again, playing basketball against Steve and Jessica. It was almost embarrassing how easily she and her date beat the other two, although Steve in particular took the defeat with good grace. At another time, she found herself dancing with Felix and at another point, talking with Tara, who told her that Bonnie had gone through a pretty bad and dramatic breakup and that her ex-boyfriend wasn't accepting it with much in the way of good grace. Kim looked around and to her surprise, saw the brunette playing a video game with Ron and Larry. The cheerleader honestly seemed to be enjoying herself, occasionally shrieking in either joy or dismay at the fate of her avataristic character or pixelated undead antagonists.

The evening flew by, Larry chatted with her about the family. His mother was very concerned about him being out until midnight, but was only mollified by the fact that Kim would be there. Larry promptly grabbed another cola, admitting that he was carefully maintaining his caffeine intake since he had never actually been awake until midnight before in his life.

It wasn't terribly long after this that Kim found herself chatting with Bonnie. While the brunette seemed to have already put her animosity towards Ron aside, probably to keep her friendship with Tara intact, Kim was surprised to find that Bonnie was actually ready to talk without being snarky. She was actually pleasant company. Kim talked about some misadventures she and Ron had experienced, especially the whole Ray-X adventure, and had the usually haughty girl laughing and snorting in a most undignified manner.

After that, Bonnie, Kim, Tara and Monique decided to watch a little of a movie while Ron, Felix, Larry and Wade went outside to play some more basketball, since robotic arms were keeping the driveway clear of snow buildup. Other guests divided their time between food, dancing and video games. There were only a couple of hours until midnight and the guests were all making the most of their time. Unfortunately, the loud music meant that Kim didn't hear the altercation outside until it turned violent.

* * *

Chippy was bored. She was bored in only the way that a being that was trained for action can be bored when there is nothing to do. Even though the space center had been closed for this human holiday, she had taken the buses there, Frederick had let her in and she had instructed him in an hour of basic exercises. Afterwards, he showed her the Kepler Rocket and activated a flight simulation for her, so she knew what he did. He activated a simulation program for her and she proved every bit as inept at flying a spacecraft as he was at performing martial arts. After this, Frederic offered her lunch at the empty, staff dining facility. There was fruit for the monkeys as well as some delicious beetles. The simians saved the wriggling arthropods for last, crunching the delicacies with obvious relish.

Their meal concluded, Frederick offered to show her the entire facility but Chippy declined, preferring to return to her master's abode in case he needed her. Instead, he left for a party...at Chippy's insistence. Missing one bout of ceremonial kata wouldn't damage his development, but missing a party might make him socially isolated and therefore, a less effective ninja. She also wanted him to socialize for other reasons, but wasn't ready to discuss them with the human. Humans developed at a slower rate than monkeys so while he had seen more years than she, he was still curiously the younger of the two.

Finally, Chippy realized that her boredom wasn't going away, so maybe a little activity was in order. She observed the bus schedule and realized that the humans' transportation system would be running for a couple more hours. Instead of walking to a bus stop and waiting, she sneaked to the structure, unobserved and waited on the small structure's roof in the building snow. When the bus came by, she slipped atop it and rode it to her next stop, scrambling unseen to the next roof to await her next bus. Upon reaching the space center, she scrambled around the structure until she located Frederick's housing area and saw her pupil apparently reading a manual on the Kepler's upcoming upgrade. She tapped on the window to gain his attention.

Minutes later, he had let her in the front door. She told him that she now was ready to accept his offer to show her around the facility. He complied and while most of what he showed her was incomprehensible to her, she was very interested in the hangar that housed the Kepler Rocket. It was a vast, open structure with exposed support girders and rafters high up. For her it was a monkey's paradise, allowing her to leap and swing, high in the air. After some urging, she talked her student into doing the same.

It was wonderful for both simians, leaping among the high structural elements, reveling in their agility and balance...simply enjoying being monkeys. Unfortunately for the ninja, her companion tired all too quickly in the unaccustomed gravity and leaping among the girders wasn't as much fun alone. However, Frederick had another idea.

He led her to a saucer-shaped aircraft and explained that it was a practice vehicle. He fired up the engines and flew them around the vast hangar. With a gleam in his eye, he actually guided the aircraft among some of the girders at high speed, showing off his skill. Chippy understood, even though he wasn't the fit monkey she was, he had hardly wasted his life. Still feeling bored, the ninja leaped from the craft and raced her companion among the high rafters, pitting monkey agility and martial arts skill against technology and technical skill.

They spent hours playing like this, until her exhaustion finally overcame her feeling of boredom. Feeling considerably better, Chippy allowed her companion to lead her to another section of the center, where he manipulated the controls of a telescope. Soon, a television screen showed a space station and Frederick explained to her that it was his home when he wasn't on earth. For some reason, the sight of the metallic structure, floating in the cold dark, made her feel sad for him. Sensing her disquiet, Frederick manipulated the telescope's controls again, this time showing them a close-up picture of the moon. Chippy looked at the image for a few minutes, intrigued with the mountain ranges, craters and shadows, but she had a way she preferred to look at the moon.

She took Fredericks' hand and led him to a high point in the hangar. The high structure, located on a high hilltop, was above the building storm, providing a beautiful vantage point of both the surrounding lands and the night sky. There, the two monkeys crouched on a beam and looked at the moon, not noticing the mountains, craters and other features, simply appreciating the beauty of the silvery light streaming down upon them.

Unnoticed by the two monkeys, their tails crossed and arced above their heads, forming a heart shape that framed the glowing, celestial body.

* * *

When a car lurched up to the curb, Felix assumed that one of the people who had declined his invitation had come to put in a short appearance. Excusing himself from the game, he rolled his chair to greet his would be guests, two teenage boys who stormed out of the car and started stomping towards the house.

"Hello, guys," Felix intercepted the two. "Are you looking for someone?"

"Out of our way," one of them grumbled. He yanked the boy out of his wheelchair and threw him to the ground. The following boy threw a kick at the would-be host and followed his companion.

Inside the house, a couple of teens saw what was happening and either screamed or shouted. Kim was on her feet in a moment, running towards the commotion, even though she didn't know what was happening. On the driveway, Ron saw red, hurled the basketball at the lead newcomer and sprinted towards them. The ball flew true, bouncing off the back of the boy's head and causing him to approach the oncoming blonde, rather than the house. No words were spoken, no words were needed.

Ron was faster than his would-be opponent, landing a punch under his rib-cage before the other boy could throw one of his own. The newcomer staggered back and the other boy threw a punch at the oncoming blonde boy. Ron blocked with his right arm, opening his assailant and landed an elbow on the boy's solar plexus, deflating him like a balloon. By this time, the first boy was back, moving in with a barrage of punches. Ron swatted the blows away and got close enough to land a thrust kick to the boy's stomach. This slowed the barrage enough for Ron to get a thumb lock on the boy, twisting his wrist and forcing him to his knees.

"What's your problem?" Ron demanded of the other boy.

By this time, Wade and Keven had reached Felix to help him back into the wheelchair. It wasn't necessary, as articulated arms emerged from the chair to pull him back in. Kim arrived and stood over the other newcomer, making sure he wouldn't make any additional trouble.

"We're waiting," Ron repeated, twisting the boy's wrist further.

"I want to talk to my girlfriend," the boy snarled.

"Throwing your host around is a pretty bad way to accomplish that," Ron told him, backing off just a bit but not letting him go.

"Look, just let me talk to Bonnie and I'll go," he told the blonde.

"What if she doesn't want to talk to you? Ron asked him.

"That's none of your business!" The boy snarled.

"The minute you came here and started throwing my friends around, you made it my business," Ron growled back. "Now, why don't the two of you just get up and leave. There's been no broken bones and nothing bruised other than a couple of egos. There's no need for the police unless you push the issue." Ron released him and stepped back.

Both newcomers recovered their feet and seemed to be deciding whether or not to create more trouble. Ron could see the gears working inside the other boy's head. He knew that he was outmatched by Ron, much less Kim and the growing group of people showing up. He was trying to leave while salvaging just a little bit of pride.

"It was just a mistake," Ron suggested. "You got a little too worked up and weren't thinking."

The other boy glared at Ron for a minute or two, then nodded. He wasn't happy, but he managed to spin on his heel and stalk back to his car with his friend at his heels. The car tore off, fishtailing down the street. Ron looked back over his shoulder at the small crowd that had grown.

"I think the show's over," Felix announced from behind him. "Sorry for the interruption. What say we get back to the fun?"

"You don't have to apologize," Bonnie told him. "That was my ex and his best friend."

"It's not your fault," Tara assured her. "C'mon, why don't we eat some junk food and talk about it?"

Liz and Jessica followed their fellow cheerleaders to the snacks while Felix rolled towards the door, reminding everyone of all of the entertainment waiting them and the fact that they had less than an hour before midnight. The host's voice sounded strained and he was clearly upset.

Kim noticed Larry had a very worried look and decided that she needed to calm her cousin down a little. The older boy was shook up by the real life violence that he just experienced, so Kim had to assure him that everyone was fine. Finally, she had Wade and Kevin escort the boy to the video game console. With her cousin taken care of, she looked around. Ron, Steve and Jess's date were standing just back from where Tara, Liz and Jess were talking with Bonnie, ready to be supportive companions if needed. The one person she didn't see was Felix.

Kim went on a search for her host and date. She didn't like poking around someone's house without an invitation, but she suspected that the boy might not be in a good mood right now. She didn't find him in what she assumed to be his mother's bedroom, his bedroom and a couple of spare bedrooms. She made her way downstairs and couldn't find him in the garage, but then she opened another door and found him busy at a workbench.

"Hey, Kim," he greeted her without much enthusiasm, still concentrating on whatever was on the bench as she stepped inside. She looked around and realized that they were in a workshop.

"Hey, Felix," she replied, walking completely inside and closing the door behind her. "What are you working on?"

"A retractable seat belt," he told her. "That little incident taught me that I'd better have something that can hold me in the chair when I need it to, but let me leave when I want to. Once I'm out of my chair, what am I?"

The last statement was very bitter.

"You're a very intelligent, very kind young man when you're not in your chair," Kim told him.

"But what if Ron hadn't been there?" Felix asked her. "What if you hadn't been close by, or all of the people who were here tonight?"

"Then you'd be in the same place that anyone who suffered a home break in would be," Kim told him.

"This doesn't sound like the usual cheer up," Felix set his tools aside for the moment. "You know, the old sure, _you've done amazing things but at the end of the day, you have to admit that you're still bound to a wheelchair_ sort of speech."

"It's not supposed to be," Kim told him. "It's supposed to be the everybody needs help now and then, sort of speech."

"That sounds a lot better," Felix admitted.

"It's not supposed to sound better," Kim told him. "It's supposed to be a simple fact. Felix, I'm supposed to be the girl who can do anything. There's been times I've needed help from Ron, my parents and even my brothers. How can you feel bad that you need help now and then? Everyone does."

"It's different when you're in the chair," he grumbled. "Everyone looks at you like you're helpless."

"Like me, asking you if you needed help on the stairs on the day we met," Kim agreed. "Felix, I'm going to come out and be honest with you. You amaze me! I would have respected you if you just went along with life like everyone else. Instead, you seem to relish every sitch that you have to adapt to! You seem to love it when a problem comes up, just so you can solve it!"

"Well, life is all about the challenges, isn't it?" Felix was feeling his face start to get warm, actually blushing. "It isn't that different from you facing those guys you fight all the time."

"It is the same, isn't it?" Kim mused. "You hit a setback and you adapt to it. But I don't think you need to adapt at the moment. It would be bad form if the host wasn't in the main room during the countdown."

"It would be, wouldn't it?" He agreed. "Well Kim, thanks for setting my head straight."

"Plenty of people have done the same for me," she assured him. "Give the next person the 'everyone needs help' pep talk when they need it."

The two made their way back to the main room, which was regaining the lively, rowdy atmosphere from before. The host put his fingers into his mouth and let loose a shrieking whistle.

"It's only a few minutes before midnight," he declared. "It's getting time for the countdown, so lets turn down the dance music, the movies and the video games. As the host, I get to make a couple of comments. First, I'm new in town so I'd like to really thank everyone for coming here tonight and helping me fit in, even if the snowstorm is turning into a blizzard."

A short round of applause sounded through the room.

"I'd like to thank Kim, for inviting almost all of you on my behalf. Here's hoping for some new friendships to come out of this party."

Another short round of cheers sounded.

"One last thing, here's to Ron, Tara and Kim for helping me set up! Now, it's only about a minute until midnight so here's hoping that everyone has a great new year."

A round of agreement sounded.

"Now, it's only about thirty seconds to go, so places everyone! Here we go...ten, nine, eight, seven..."

Kim noted that Steve and Jess decided to start the traditional new year's kiss with about five seconds to go and maintained it through the final seconds. Ron and Tara also chose to not wait until the last moment. Liz and her date weren't quite at boyfriend/girlfriend status so they settled for a close hug at the moment the old year gave way to the new. Kim decided to give Felix a peck on the cheek. She liked him a lot, but she wasn't quite comfortable enough yet for kissing.

Everyone sang the traditional, end of the old year/beginning of the new one song. While Kim was fairly sure that at least some of the attendees had brought a little 'enhancement' for their soft drinks, nobody seemed to be drinking enough to become impaired. Wade whispered a comment to Felix.

"Hey everyone," the host called to everybody. "The storm is supposed to get a whole lot worse, pretty quickly. I hate to break up this party and chase everyone away, but let's give it another half hour, at the most before calling it quits so that everyone can make it home safe."

His announcement was met with a round of resignation rather than anger. The weather in the mountains was always unsettled in the wintertime, so you just had to roll with it.

"Now everyone, please make another run or two at the snack table," he instructed his guests. "I don't want to be stuck with all of this food!"

The male contingent seemed more than willing to follow these instructions. Even with the last minute gorging, the party started to break up pretty quickly after Felix's announcement. Soon, it was only Larry, Wade, Kim, Ron and Tara remaining with their host. Ron shook hands with and thanked Felix for the party, as well as volunteering to come over tomorrow and help with the cleanup. Tara shyly gave her host a peck on the cheek as thanks. Tara was driving for the two, having borrowed her father's pickup again.

Kim was happy to offer Larry and Wade rides home, having borrowed her mother's minivan for the night. While her two passengers left to pile into the vehicle, she was left alone with Felix.

"I really had a good time tonight," she told him.

"So did I," he answered.

She reached out and took his hands. "I'd like another date sometime and I think it's my turn to ask you out. I'll call tomorrow."

She quickly bent down and gave him another peck on the cheek before turning and climbing into the van to deliver her passengers. She chose to deliver Larry first as although he was chronologically the oldest, he was in some way the youngest of the three. After that, she dropped Wade off then made her cautious way to her own home. The roads were getting very bad, but she managed to get home. Once inside, she called Wade.

"Please check on everyone, see if everybody got home safely," she asked her young friend.

"On it, but here's some disturbing news," he answered. "Ron and Tara made a 911 call while we were on the road! I'm checking for details now!"

"Where are they," Kim was ready to run to the site if she needed to.

"They're both fine," he reported. "They assisted with a rescue but the city is closing the roads in a few minutes. It looks like Ron's going to be stranded at the Kings'".

* * *

Tara was a very skilled driver, guiding the four wheel drive pickup carefully through the building snow. Ron had insisted that they go to the Kings, from where he could walk home. The route took them over Tri-City Creek. As they approached the bridge, another car zipped out of another street, fishtailed down their street then missed the bridge and plunged down the bank. Tara automatically pulled over.

"Call 911!" Ron told her. The blonde boy jumped out of the pickup and rushed towards the creek. Tara did as he requested, edging her pickup closer to the bank so that the headlights could provide some additional illumination to what was happening.

Ron scrambled down the bank, the lights from the bridge providing only dim illumination through the snow. The front end of the car had smashed through the ice and the tail end was slowly slipping into the hole. Knowing that what he was about to do was impossible, he concentrated on his Chi, like Chippy had taught him. Jumping onto the trunk, he unleashed the most powerful punches of his life on the edges of the rear windshield. The safety glass cracked and flexed, but did not shatter. However, he managed to break it free from the body of the car. Hyped up on adrenaline and Mystical Monkey Power, the blonde boy managed to pull half the windshield away from its mounting, allowing enough room for someone to escape.

Seeing a shadowy shape inside, Ron reached in, grabbed a handful of clothing and hauled somebody out of the vehicle. There was just enough light for Ron to see that it was actually the young man he had tangled with earlier that night. Shoving that thought to the back of his mind, he hauled the other boy to the bank and went back to see if there was anyone else in the vehicle. He had to crawl partway into the submerging car to reach the passenger. He knew that if the victim had suffered injuries, pulling him out could inflict even more. It was a chance he had to take; if he didn't pull the boy clear, he would die of drowning or hypothermia. Ron was completely soaked with icy water by the time he hauled the second boy to the bank.

Tara was neither foolish nor a wallflower. She left all of the pickup's lights on before leaving the vehicle to work her way down the bank to help. While Ron hauled the second boy out of the creek, Tara got one of the first one's arms over her shoulders and started to haul him up the bank to the pickup. Ron followed her with the second boy. When he reached the pickup, he realized that Tara had cranked the heater to full blast. The two blondes shoved their guests into the warm vehicle's front seat at about the time the first police car arrived. The policeman started a preliminary diagnosis on the two, injured teenagers while calling for additional assets. He instructed the two blondes to sit in his cruiser, where it was warm, while waiting. Soon, more police and an ambulance arrived. It took time, but eventually the two teens from the car were loaded into the ambulance. A snow plow showed up and led the emergency vehicle off to the medical center. While Tara and Ron waited, another policeman gave Ron first aid for the cuts he hadn't realized he had sustained on his knuckles and hands.

Now it was time for the police to question the two blondes. After both made statements, the policeman became very friendly towards them.

"The city closed the streets while you've been waiting here," the policeman told them. "I'll get the word out for you to go straight home, Miss King. I'll call both of your parents and let them know what's happening. A report from a policeman will sound much more official than from a teenager."

"Ron's in no condition to walk home," Tara told the policeman. "Can I drop him off on my way home?"

"Straight to your own home," he insisted. "I'm sure both of your parents will understand the situation."

The policeman first called Tara's parents and learned that they were stranded at a New Years party at a local hotel and ballroom. Ron's were home and had become rather numbed to their son staying out overnight due to violent or dangerous actions. Both sets of parents wanted a call as soon as their children reached the King Home.

Ron was shivering, but not violently as Tara eased the pickup back onto the road and crossed the bridge. It took over twice as long to reach her home as it usually would have, but she was being very careful. Finally, she eased the large vehicle into her driveway. The two teens ran from the pickup to the front door. Moments later, Tara had them inside. She sat Ron in the kitchen and hustled to her parents' bedroom. She was back moments later with a bundle of clothing.

"My dad's sweat suit," she told him. "It should fit you close enough. Now, come here." She led him downstairs to a bathroom.

"Take a shower," she instructed him. "The creek isn't the cleanest water out there. Throw out your wet clothes and I'll get them in the wash machine."

Ron did as instructed, tossing most of his clothing out through the door.

"All of your clothes!" She shouted through the door.

"Tara!" He protested.

"I won't melt when I touch it!" She snapped back.

Sighing, Ron tossed his boxers out before turning on the shower.

He had to admit that the hot water felt wonderful after the cold creek. Clean and warmed, he dressed in the borrowed clothing and stepped out into the basement den.

Although he hadn't been dragging his feet, Tara hadn't been idle. The couch had been made up as a bed and Tara was wearing long, flannel pajamas.

"I called your folks and mine," she told him. "Everyone understands that we're pretty much stranded here together. Your clothes are in the washer. Now, I'm exhausted and I'm sure you are too. Let's get some sleep."

Ron nodded and pulled back the covers on the couch. Tara, however, grabbed his hand and led him towards her room.

"My parents told me to make you a bed on the couch," she told him. "They forgot to tell me you had to sleep on it."

"Tara!" he protested.

"Ron, I'm too tired to rob you of your virtue," the blonde girl told him. "I'm tired, cold, freaked out from the whole rescue and driving on a skating rink. I've never liked sleeping in an empty house and the basement is always a little chilly when nobody's around to keep the fire in the fireplace. I'd really like to have a warm body next to me tonight, wouldn't you?"

"Well, yeah."

The two slid into the bed and Tara turned off the bedside lamp. In the dark, they cuddled up close to each other. Her head slid onto his shoulder, her arm around his chest. Her warmth enfolded his right side.

"This is wonderful," he murmured. She gave a happy sigh in response.

Was it only a couple of days ago that she showed up to cuddle him off to sleep after a rough mission? Now, he was returning the favor. Her breathing became deep and regular. Even with a lovely, kindly young woman cuddled up close, Ron couldn't sleep. He craved the surge and joy from his ceremonial katas, something that he couldn't get right now.

Outside, a shadowy form left its observation post at the basement window and vanished into the night.

It was a night of very little sleep for Ron, although he managed to stay still for his girlfriend's sake. She seemed perfectly content and he had to admit that it was nice and warm in the bed. He managed to dose off now and again but he always woke shortly afterwards, unable to completely relax. Finally, the numbers on her alarm clock reached a point at which it would be suitable for him to get out of bed.

He slipped out of his girlfriend's embrace and her bed. A little searching revealed the laundry room, where he pulled his clothing out of the wash machine and put it in the dryer. After a quick visit to the bathroom, he poked about the basement den and turned on the television, intent on getting a little news. It turned out that the streets in the entire tri-city area were still closed, with no schedule for them re-opening. He padded up the stairs and looked outside, noting that the wind was very strong and visibility was only about a block. A major blizzard, indeed.

Feeling tired and irritable, he watched more television until the dryer had finished its efforts with his clothing and he was able to get dressed. Now feeling a little more himself, he recovered his heavy coat and gloves and slipped into the King's garage to locate a snow shovel. Thus armed, he went to work on their double driveway. Still tired, he wasn't moving terribly fast. He was only about halfway done when his girlfriend emerged from the garage, armed with another shovel. Working together, they quickly finished the job and retreated back into the house.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" She asked him, pouting slightly. "The snow's still coming down, so the shoveling can wait."

"Why should you wake up early just because I couldn't sleep?" He pointed out, wondering why she had even asked. He was doing her a favor by letting her sleep, wasn't he? Besides, if she would have stayed asleep a little longer, he could have gotten in his katas.

She frowned a little at his tone, "Maybe we should make breakfast."

He nodded. Perhaps some food would help him get his good humor back.

It wasn't easy. He wanted to help her, but every time he turned around, she seemed to be where he wanted to go. Still, he kept a smile on his face and struggled through. Soon, the two of them had a large, hot breakfast on the table. With hot food in his stomach, he felt a little more himself but he knew what he needed to feel right. After helping with the dishes, he made a suggestion.

"Why don't I run the shovel over the driveway again?" He asked. "We don't want it to build up too much."

She frowned a little, but nodded. "I'll get the fire going," she suggested. "That way, we can use it to dry our coats and boots."

He nodded and pulled his heavy clothing back on. Once outside, he rushed to clear the driveway again, then, with nobody looking, he ran through the ceremonial katas. Again, he felt the surge and joy. Full of energy, he quickly cleared off the Kings' sidewalks as well. Coming inside, he shed his boots and coat before addressing his girlfriend.

"Sorry," he whispered to her, enfolding her in a hug.

"What for?" She asked.

"For being a jerk," he admitted. "I was tired and hungry, so it took a little bit for me to get my attitude straightened out. I really appreciate how you've made me feel at home."

Now her arms found their way around his neck, "we were both a little put out after yesterday," she suggested.

Their lips met, then met again, then met for a third time and saw no reason to part company. He gently nudged her towards the couch in front of the fire and she went along with the motion.

His phone rang.

It was tempting to ignore the call but too many people knew where he was, who he was with, and could thereby guess why he wasn't answering. Tara's expression was half irritated and half amused when he looked at the caller id.

"What's up, Wade?" He asked.

"I have a request for help," the youngster told him. "An elderly woman, Mrs. Elkhorn, has depleted her blood pressure medicine. She should be down the street from you. Her pharmacy is three-quarters of a mile away, and the pharmacist is stranded inside. Go to the pharmacy and return with the medicine. Are you up to it?"

Ron looked at Tara, sitting on the couch with a sultry look, then considered what he would think of himself if he didn't help the aforementioned lady.

"I'll take it," he said. "Getting dressed now."

"Hello?!" Wade's voice sounded over the phone.

"I mean, getting my boots on," Ron corrected. He noted Tara was giggling at the one sided conversation.

"What's up?" She asked him.

"Blood pressure medicine for one Mrs. Elkhorn," Ron told her.

"She's a sweetheart," Tara declared, grabbing her own boots.

"Uh, Tara," he pointed out. "There's only need for one person to go out in the cold."

"Are you telling me I can't help?" She demanded of him.

"Well, no..."

"Do you think I can't keep up?" She asked.

"No..."

"Isn't it safer to not do this alone?" She continued.

"Well, yes..."

"Then I'm coming along!" Her tone allowed no argument.

"It's cold out there," he pointed out.

"There's no such thing as bad weather," she told him. "Only bad clothes. Now, are you coming or not?"

It was cold and windy, but the two teens were fit and well dressed. They slogged through the drifts to the pharmacy, where they warmed up a little before trudging back to Mrs. Elkhorn's house. Mrs. Elkhorn proved to be a grateful, sweet elderly lady who filled them full of hot chocolate as soon as they arrived.

"Got a pet missing in the storm," Wade reported next. "Older dachshund. Owner is afraid it could be in trouble. It's three blocks away, and Kim's helping to move a small family who's house lost power. Can you guys take care of the dog?"

After a glance, Ron and Tara agreed to this one, as well.

The day wore on with minor missions such as this. As the light started to dim, the snow and wind started to taper off. Ron's parents called in and requested that the two teens spend the night with them. Tara looked a little wistfully at her own home.

"If you want to stay here, I won't force you to come over," Ron told her.

"No, I don't want to spend a night in an empty house if I don't have to," she told him, then smiled at him. "I was hoping to have a warm body in bed with me again. We can't really say no to your folks and if we go there, we don't get to cuddle all night, do we?"

"No," Ron agreed, a tone of regret in his voice.

"Well, let's go get an overnight bag for me," she suggested. "Then head to your place. At least we'll be together."

Of course, Ron had to clear off his parents' driveway and sidewalks when they arrived. He was more than exhausted by the time he was done. By then, Tara was inside and his mother was subtly questioning her about what they were doing at her place, unsupervised.

Even though he was almost staggering and he could feel his back muscles being strained, almost injured, he went through his katas again. The surge wasn't as great, seeing as his execution left something to be desired, but he could now face the next day.

Once back inside and out of his heavy clothes, he and Tara were set side by side at the dining room table for the evening meal. It was a heavy, hearty affair that the teens dug into with a great deal of gusto, eager to replace the calories they had burned off. Afterwards, changed into their pajamas, they sat on the couch, side by side.

To his surprise, Ron didn't feel self-conscious about putting his arm around his girlfriend as they watched a movie and chatted with his folks. Well-fed, satisfied and with a warm girlfriend curled up at his side, his eyelids grew heavier.

His next memory was waking up the next morning, on the couch with Tara, with a blanket from his bed covering them.

* * *

 _A/N:_

 _First, my thanks to Campy, for allowing me to use the Jess and Steve couple, as well as Steve and Kevin being friends with Ron, from his stories._

 _Second, my thanks to Joe Stoppinghem, for beta reading._


	11. Chapter 11

Lord Montgomery Fiske looked at the fruits of his labors. Two weeks of painstaking digging had produced three amulets that may or may not be wards against spirits. If they were, they may or may not have been fabricated by a mystic capable of creating talismans capable of what he needed. Bottom line up front; he was now in possession of three amulets that may or may not protect him from the spirit that was pursuing him.

More bad news: he couldn't pursue The Han at this time. One of the intelligent things he had done before leaving his castle was to load all of his research on a series of electronic media that he could take with him. While laboring here in the Ethiopian Highlands, he was able to dig deeper and realize that certain portents, which would indicate that The Han was now active, had not occurred. He sighed, yet another potential weapon against his tormentor was now gone...or more to the point, had not been available in the first place.

He was now faced with yet another dilemma, to continue the dig at this location, burning up additional funding but maintaining the illusion that he was a legitimate archaeologist, or leave now, saving money but declaring to all of the laborers that he had just performed a 'grab and run' operation? It shouldn't have been a hard decision, as his estate could have maintained this dig site while he established another. However, those funds were kept in a series of accounts and he was certain that Mr. Lode was observing at least some of them. It galled the nobleman, but he had to admit that Possible's technical child was more experienced at tracking monetary transfers than he was at concealing them.

The final dilemma was that Fiske only had about two weeks to work with before safety would compel him to relocate, preferably to a point very far away. It was tempting to consider a return to his estate and lock the position of the spirit again, but that would mean Mr. Lode locking his position again. The fact that the cheerleader and the pretender had not bothered him yet told him that he had evaded detection up to this point. He had no intention of putting himself under observation again.

So here he sat, far from home. He may have the tools to save his life, but the only way he would be able to find out would be to require them to do so. He would like to excavate another site, but to do so he would have to either transfer more funds from one of his accounts, which would risk Lode detecting the transfer, or leave the excavation of this site incomplete, which would risk someone reporting artifact theft. Finally, he would have to move several hundred, preferably thousand, kilometers in the next two weeks. Some days Fiske wished that he had stayed a world renowned and famous archaeologist, rather than embarking upon the path to mystical power.

Perhaps he was just paying his dues.

Finally, he made up his mind. He decided to move his operations to another promising site and take the risk that the workers here would consider him simply another artifact thief. By the time anyone investigated, he should be long gone. When the time came to leave Ethiopia, he decided that Burma would be a good place to visit next. In particular, the museum where he had found the artifacts that had started this whole mess might prove to contain additional, interesting items.

Two more weeks of work at another site brought up two more talismans that might, or might not, be proof against the spirit. Now, as far as Fiske could determine, the spirit was only a few hundred kilometers away, perhaps only three days travel. It was time to move. Fortunately, he had already planned his next maneuver. First, a long SUV drive to Asosa, followed by a small aircraft ride to Banya, in Kenya. After that, a slightly larger aircraft took him to Nairobi. Now, with a week or so before the spirit could reach him, he was able to meet with his team of a dozen monkey ninjas, that had taken a series of flights and truck rides across Europe before flying here.

"You brought the book?" He asked Tommy.

The monkey nodded.

"Good, pick the five least capable of those you brought along and come with me. The rest can move my gear to the other aircraft," Fiske instructed. The aircraft that brought his monkeys from Europe to Kenya would return, while another aircraft would take them to Myanmar. In the meantime, it was time to test the talismans he had found.

Fiske had rented a large warehouse and he now drove a micro-bus, with six monkeys, to it. Once there, he instructed his primates to confirm that they were alone in the structure while he pulled out the book that he had previously ordered Tommy to bring.

"The Ancient Text of the Phantom Monkeys," he murmured, holding the tome with respect. "I don't care to recall the effort and expense I invested in regaining this artifact from Middleton High School, even though nobody really wanted it. No matter! It will now prove its worth. You five! Come here!"

The five monkeys who Tommy had selected marched forward and Fiske gave each of them one of the talismans he had collected. He then put the Ancient Text of the Phantom Monkeys on a stand in the center of the warehouse, had Tommy position himself directly under it, then ordered the first monkey to open the book.

The result was both negative and messy. The phantom monkey seized the unfortunate primate and inflicted horrific and fatal wounds upon it before Tommy could shut the cover, trapping the phantom inside once again. Fiske now ordered the second monkey to open the book. This primate did so with a great deal less enthusiasm than his predecessor. However, this time the phantom monkey circled around the frightened simian and came shrieking at Fiske and the other three. Tommy managed to close the book before it reached the nervous audience.

By the end of the experiment, Fiske had lost three monkeys but he now had two amulets that were proof against the phantom monkey...and therefore _might_ be proof against the pursuing spirit. He also had three medallions that were useless against the phantom monkey, and were therefore probably not proof against the pursuing spirit.

Knowing that the experiment might have fatal consequences, he had already arranged for the respectful handling of any remains. He and the remaining nine monkeys attended a cremation ceremony for his three lost servants before boarding the aircraft for Myanmar, with him and Tommy sporting new trinkets. Landing in Yangon, they set up their base of operations. Fiske also worked with his black market contacts to sell the three useless talisman's, as they were still valuable and under the table cash may come in handy.

He gave himself forty-five days before he would have to relocate and avoid the spirit. From his rooms in Yangon, Fiske set out to investigate museums, temples and monasteries. It was painstaking work, as he was determined to not steal anything, but to photograph and record. There would be no missing items to alert any authorities that he was in the area. Once his monkeys brought back photographs, he would spend hours translating them. Fiske was nervous; he was indulging in a great deal of on-line research and financial transactions. While he had paid some experts a great deal of money to route his internet connections through multiple servers, he had no doubt that Mr. Lode would eventually track them down to him. What could he expect at that point? Would it be local or international authorities? Would it be the cheerleader and her pretender sidekick? Would it be Global Justice? Delays and temporary incarceration could be deadly for him.

Days then weeks went by. He monitored the local news and noted that several of his break-ins had been detected and that local officials were confused by burglars that gained access to valuable artifacts but did not steal them. How long would it be before Mr. Lode noted a pattern and came to an inconvenient conclusion? Would relocating his base of operations call attention to himself, or would remaining stationary garner a greater risk? For a man who prided himself on his stealth, this realm of secrecy and intrigue was strangely disquieting.

He continued his translations. Forty days into his stay in Myanmar, he made in intriguing discovery.

"So there is a method to turn the spirit onto another target?" He chuckled, sitting in his rented home with his faithful monkeys gathered about him. "It would appear that the religious and governmental officials have moved the tablets that actually detail the procedure to a secret location, but they didn't remove the scrolls that told what could be accomplished by a one who possesses the Mystical Monkey Power!"

"Those here in Myanmar have moved the instructional tablets to a secret and undoubtedly well guarded locale. It would take a great deal of time and effort, with little promise of success, to obtain them. I wonder how long it will take me to determine Mr. Lode's physical location? He undoubtedly has copies of such ceremonies. It will be easy to persuade Mr. Lode to part with them! Afterwards, it will be little effort to make sure he doesn't speak to anyone else about this matter."

"Not a good plan, Monty!" A familiar and hated voice spun the Englishman around.

* * *

While Kim hadn't worked with Ron during the blizzard, she and he still helped a lot of people with various issues while transportation was limited. Talking to Wade, she learned about Ron and Tara rescuing the same teens who had assaulted Felix at the party, before assisting people in the Kings' neighborhood, even while she assisted people in hers. She kept track of her friends, knowing that Tara spent the second 'blizzard night' with the Stoppables. After that, the blizzard finally died away completely and the city and county plows started working the roads. Life returned to normal, and that meant a very unpleasant issue.

She, Ron and Felix stood before Officer Hobble, giving statements. As the teens were all under eighteen, each had a parent present. Kim was seething, hating that her father and Dr. Renton had to miss work to deal with the sitch.

"So, Felix, what happened at the party?" The policeman had a tape recorder running and was taking notes.

Felix told him about the two party crashers showing up, the one yanking him out of his chair and the other kicking him while he was down. The officer's face grew dark when he heard this. Felix's face grew more angry upon seeing the officer's reaction than it did when he recalled the assault. Kim put a hand on one of his shoulders to calm him a bit.

"So, Ronald," the officer continued. "I understand that this is when you confronted the two."

"Yes sir," Ron told him, then described the fight.

"So why did you confront the two?" Hobble asked.

"They had just attacked a friend of mine and were heading into a house full of other friends, looking for a fight," Ron told him, getting angry. "If there was going to be a fight, it might as well have been out in the yard."

"Relax lad," the policeman suggested. "I'm not questioning your decision, but a judge or lawyer might at a later date. You'd be better served keeping your temper under control when that happens. So, what happened next?"

"Well, most of the party guests came out, and we talked the two into just leaving," Ron told him.

"Miss Possible?" Officer Hobble prompted.

"That's what I remember," she told him. She described running into the yard and seeing Ron tangling with the two boys. "I made sure the second boy wouldn't get up and try to get back in the fight. Ron pointed out that nobody had been seriously hurt at that time, so they decided to let things drop."

"Very well," the policeman noted. "Mr. Renton and Miss Possible, you are free to go. Miss King and her mother are in the waiting room, please ask them to come in and see me, with Mr. Stoppable here."

Kim didn't like leaving Ron to face the music without her, but she realized that the policeman wanted information about the two boys driving their car into the creek and she wasn't a witness. Instead, while her father and Dr. Renton started to talk about their work at the space center, she managed to get Felix a little distance away for a more private conversation.

"What's got you so angry?" She asked her friend.

"Once again, I'm just the kid in the wheelchair," he whispered back, not wanting anyone else to hear. "As soon as there's some altercation, you can't blame the kid in the wheelchair! Just once, I'd like to hear a teacher, or a principal, or even a cop ask me 'are you sure they were the ones who started it?'"

"Felix," she pointed out. "The altercation took place in your yard and they weren't invited. You had every reason to be there and they didn't. Even without the wheelchair, Officer Hobble is right to take your word for it."

"But did he have to get extra mad when he found out they roughed up the kid in the wheelchair?" Felix looked equal parts sad and angry. "After all, I must have been so helpless and harmless! It was so heartless to put a hand on me!"

"Sort of like hitting a girl," Kim murmured. "You wouldn't believe how many people thought that my missions were just a publicity stunt." She looked at him. "Wade still gets hits on my site from people who are convinced that I want to be eye candy. It took a long time for people to take me seriously."

"You're the same way," she told him. "It's hard to look past your chair. I know I didn't when I first met you. Now I know better. You're not the boy in the wheelchair, you're a boy. You're also my lab partner and we're going to pick out our assignment in a week or so, so you'd better be ready to go."

"Like you can keep up with me," he snorted, derisively.

"You so didn't just challenge me!" She shot back.

When the doctors Possible and Renton finished talking shop and showed up to collect their children, they were bemused to see them trading academic trash talk with wide smiles on their faces.

"...then we helped them into the Kings' pickup," Ron concluded. "Tara had turned the heater on high, so it was fairly warm inside. That's when the first policeman showed up."

"Very well," Officer Hobble nodded. "Now, were you aware that the two victims could have had concussions or neck injuries, and you could have made these injuries worse by moving them?

"Yes," Ron admitted. "But they were in a car that was sliding under the ice. If I didn't move them, they would have drowned. After I got them out of the car, they were soaked with ice water on a cold night. We needed to get them someplace warm."

"You were correct," the policeman informed the teen. "One of the boys had a mild concussion, but he could have died if you hadn't got him out of the car and into the warm pickup. What happened after the ambulance took them off?"

"The policeman that was on site..." Tara began.

"That would be Officer Jolly," Officer Hobble pointed out.

"Officer Jolly told us that the roads were closed but he could make an exception for us to get home, since we had been involved in the rescue. I asked him if I could drop Ron off at his house, but he said I had to go straight home, since my house was closest. Then he offered to call both of our parents." Here Tara blushed a little. "We weren't just finding an excuse to be alone with each other and he was pretty sure that a call from a policeman would help them understand this."

"What do the two mothers say about that?" Officer Hobble asked, with a clever smile.

"That the policeman was right," Mrs. Stoppable said.

"We're very proud of them," Mrs. King added.

"Very well, you can all go, as well. I don't think that there will be anything come out of all of this, at least not legally."

The Kings and the Stoppables left, meeting up with the Rentons and Possibles in the waiting room.

"Well, Kids," Dr. Renton addressed the four teens. "This is your last day of vacation. Since you're all together and Felix has the van, why don't you go do something...teen-like?"

The other parents agreed with the idea.

"Why don't we hit the water park for some swimming?" Felix suggested. "I can drop you all off, pick everyone back up and we can head that way!"

The suggestion was met with a round of general approval from the other three teens.

"Great idea," Kim told him. "How did you come up with it?"

"Well, Ron just had to remember his swim in a freezing creek," the teen genius smirked. "I thought he should have a memory of pleasant, warm water."

Shortly after they reached the park, Kim realized that Felix might have had another reason for choosing this particular form of recreation. In the water, the young man's handicap was minimized. Although he didn't ride the slides, he proved a strong swimmer and it became almost impossible to remember that his legs didn't function. In fact, when he arrived at the pool he had ignored the lift intended to help the handicapped get into the water. Instead, he had rolled his motorized chair to the edge, tumbled forward and did a handstand on the deck, then tumbled the rest of the way into the pool. The other three teens shrugged their shoulders. They should have realized that a boy who depended on arm strength to move would have very strong arms.

After that, they were just a group of teens having fun. They swam and joked. They talked trash and talked about the upcoming school year. They roughhoused and chased each other. They played water polo and shot baskets. It lasted for hours and it wasn't until they were ready to leave; Ron and Tara were showing signs of wanting a little couple time before the school year started, that Kim remembered that Felix was handicapped. Of course, in typical Felix fashion, he left the water in his own way. He called for his chair; it had voice recognition software, and clambered up the lift intended to hoist handicapped swimmers out of the pool. With the chair under him, he plopped into his transportation and rolled off towards the dressing room.

Felix dropped Ron and Tara off, suspecting that they would go off on a traditional date, before taking Kim home. The redhead didn't want the evening to end just yet and said so. The two went out to a pleasant dinner before returning to the Possible Home. This time, when Kim left the van, she was comfortable enough with Felix to kiss him on the mouth. Although they didn't say anything, Kim now considered Felix to be her boyfriend.

* * *

Ron found himself in a solid routine to start the new year. Working out every morning with Chippy, school, afternoon study session with Tara, cheer practice, homework, kata. Now, he was also meditating at night, as well. He was having difficulty with this, as he couldn't quite understand how to make his mind encompass the universal primate, like Wade's translation told him he was supposed to. Still, his attempts seemed to be improving his skill and he was getting closer to a mental breakthrough. He didn't know how he was getting closer, he just knew that he was.

During the first week, he brought an outline of his proposed science experiment to Monique, who thought it was a good idea. She added some ideas and the two presented it to Mr. Barkin during the first science class of the new year. To Ron's shock, Barkin approved it with only a couple of comments. Kim and Felix were also planning on working with the Space Center for their project; studying the effects of radiation on primate health, and why cyber-robotics is an excellent substitute for permanent biological occupation of space stations.

Ron had to smile when he thought of his best friend with Felix. As blind as he usually was when it came to relationships, it was clear to him that Kim and Felix had a power case of like-like. Ron never bought into the thought that people _**had**_ to be in romantic relationships but he was very happy that KP had found someone to feel that way about. She was also a little less tense whenever she was around Tara and himself. It wasn't that she hadn't been fun and pleasant to be around before but there was a little less tension between them now, and he appreciated that.

On the first weekend after classes started, he accompanied Chippy to the Space Center on Saturday afternoon to watch the workout she had Frederick endure. He also liked talking with the space monkey. Acting on a hunch, he asked the two to meditate with him. Something worked for him at that moment. On one side of him was a monkey who had immersed herself in physical training and mysticism...on the other, a monkey who had immersed himself in technology and science. Between them, the adaptability of the simian became more clear to him.

He could picture the Mystical Monkey Power inside him as a sentient, adaptable force.

The next morning, after training with Chippy, he noticed that he had a uni-brow forming. Taking a deep breath, he grabbed his phone and had the first three buttons pressed to call Wade when he realized that this was minor. He was in no danger of becoming some sort of emotionally detached zombie. He was looking forward to the science project, to the cheer competition, to spending time with his best friend and his girlfriend. Grabbing his razor, he quickly shaved off the offending hair and went to school.

Two weeks into the new routine and it was District Cheer Competition time. This time, it was a very close thing. Not only was the competition pool much larger, but the judges didn't think much of the mascot routine Tara had choreographed...even though it brought the other squads to their collective feet. In the end, Middleton wound up tied with a school from California for first place. The judges, after some hard looks at Ron, gave the Mad Dogs squad the win, based upon a superior mascot entertainment routine.

On the long bus ride home, Kim let everyone see the judges' comments. The three officials said roughly the same thing; that while the mascot routine had undeniable entertainment value, it followed the tired cliche of romance and should be removed. Most of the squad was irritated by the comments. Tara was livid. Kim was more angry about another document that she passed around next. Sectional competition would be in three more weeks and there would be no mascots in the competition. As much as Kim expected Bonnie to not mind the last, even she was upset. Ron had worked just as hard as anyone.

And he helped the girls carry their bags on trips.

The squad still had to cheer for basketball games, so Ron continued to work out with the squad at night. Tara continued to do their dance number with him, as it was popular with the crowds but Ron no longer worked to integrate his routines with the squads'; they were concentrating on the next competition. Still, he walked Tara home every night, studied with her during the day and went on dates with her on the weekends. Both teens were very sad when the cheer squad, minus Ron, climbed onto the bus to leave for the competition in San Diego. Between the competition and the travel time, they would be gone for a full week.

Was it fortunate or unfortunate for the boy that he was able to concentrate on Tai Shen Pek Kwar, kata and meditation without a girlfriend around? Two days after the squad left, Killigan was at it again. He had managed to steal the Pan Dimensional Vortex Inducer and was holding it at his castle, taking bids for it. Ron sighed, grabbed his school books and clambered aboard a jet aircraft for the six hour flight.

Parachuting onto the irate golfer's island, the blonde boy followed instructions from the experimental Kimmunicator Wade had given him for the mission, sneaked into one of the cellars and retrieved the device. It was at this moment that a pivotal event occurred; he encountered four monkeys, wearing golfing attire, who were preparing to tee off at dawn.

The monkeys might have been dressed for golf, but they were ready for action. They sprang forward, determined to overwhelm the teen. Burdened with the PDVI, Ron was in no position to either fight or run. Without thinking, he yelled at the monkeys to stop.

They did.

Ron felt a surge inside when they obeyed him. He tried to fall back on the understanding he had gained from his meditations and reach out to them as fellow primates.

"Go about your business," he told them. "Don't tell anyone that you met me here. This piece of metal is none of your concern."

Being true to his essential Ronness, he couldn't help but add, "these are not the 'droids you're looking for."

The monkeys shrugged, picked up golf bags and trudged out of the castle and onto one of Killigan's greens. Ron was able to leave without ever encountering the golfer. As he waited for his pickup, he had another thought.

"Wade," he called his friend. "Is Fiske still missing?"

"Yes," the young man answered.

"Would connecting this Kimmunicator to his home computer help you trace him?" Ron asked. "Would it allow you to download tracking software so you could learn where he is when he tries to log on, remotely?"

"Potentially," Wade admitted. "But they monkeys he left behind will probably warn him that somebody broke into his castle."

"I have a plan," Ron told his friend. "Get me to Fiske's castle, it's in the neighborhood, so to speak. Even if this doesn't work, we won't be any worse off than we are now."

"Okay, I'll give it a try," Wade agreed. "Pick up in twenty."

It was several more hours, and the sun was setting, before a series of rides delivered Ron to Fiske's castle. Rather than try to sneak in, he boldly walked to the front door.

"Stop," he ordered the monkeys who swarmed out of the castle. The monkeys stopped and looked at him, their expressions somewhere between curious and hostile.

"Go about your business," he told them. "My being here is nothing your master needs to know about."

The monkeys, as a group, looked at each other, shrugged and dispersed.

"Except you!" Ron ordered one of the monkeys. "Take me to the place where your master reads."

This particular monkey shrugged and led the boy down a hallway to a luxurious lavatory.

"No," Ron corrected the simian. "I don't mean the place where he reads the newspaper. Take me to the place where he reads and makes plans to gain more power."

Shrugging again, the monkey led him deeper into the castle to a comfortable looking study. A keyboard and screen were on the desk. Inside the desk, Ron found the PC and plugged the Kimmunicator in.

"This is great," Wade declared. "I'm reading his files and downloading some spyware of my own making."

"Hadn't you already hacked his system?" Ron asked his friend.

"I wasn't completely successful," Wade admitted. "He had firewalls installed, but a lot of them weren't designed to protect against a direct connection, only wireless and internet. He still has most of his files encrypted, but you've saved me some serious time. I should be able to determine what he has been researching lately. There, done."

"Take me back outside," Ron ordered the monkey. "Your master doesn't need to know about this visit."

"Uh, Ron," Wade asked, once the blonde boy was on his ride back to the states. "Was there a good reason for trying to mess with Fiske's monkeys?"

"I wanted to see if I could do it," Ron told him.

"But for what reason?" Wade persisted.

"Wade, every time we tangle with Fiske, he sets his monkeys on us," Ron told his friend. "I wanted to see if I could back them off a little. I don't know if I can turn them against him, but if his monkeys suddenly didn't attack when he told them to, wouldn't that catch him by surprise?"

"Good," Wade told him. "Finish your homework and get some sleep, you'll be back in about five more hours."

Ron did as suggested. He got home with just enough time for a few hours of real sleep before facing Friday at school. With Tara and Kim off at the competition, he found himself spending a great deal of time with Monique and Felix. He liked Kim's boyfriend, although he had to wonder about the character of anybody who preferred to use a flamethrower over a chainsaw when fighting the digital undead.

Some people had no respect for tradition.

Monique, on the other hand, was frightening. After working with her on a progress report for their science project, she started to talk fashion, something that left his eyes glazed. She caught his expression.

"Wipe that bored expression off of your face!" She snapped at him. "And come see me at Club Banana after school. You need a serious fashion upgrade to keep up with that girlfriend of yours."

"I have cheer practice after school," Ron pointed out. "Even though the rest of the squad is off at competition, Barkin won't let me go without a hard workout every night."

"Okay, after," Monique growled. "The squad's getting back sometime tomorrow afternoon. I'll have you dressed up to impress her."

"Uh, Monique," Ron protested. "I'm not out to..."

"Ron," her tone was much more reasonable. "I can assure you that if you dress up just a little, it will make her feel special. Don't you want to make her feel special?"

"Of course," Ron shrugged. "She is."

"Then drop by the store and I'll help you do it." She fixed him with a challenging glare.

"Okay, fine," Ron agreed, not wanting to anger her further.

Still, later that evening, he had to admit that Monique had a point. Standing in front of a mirror with her behind him, he had to admit that a certain amount of style could affect appearances.

"So what do you think?" Monique asked.

"I wouldn't have believed it," he admitted. "I didn't think I was material you could work with, if you know what I mean."

"You've never tried," Monique told him. "Now, did I just make a sale?"

"You did," he admitted, heading back to the dressing room to change back into his usual clothes.

"So, what's the news with the squad?" Monique asked, as she rang up his purchase.

"Second place," he told her. "KP called me earlier. It means they have one week back here before they have to leave for nationals."

"Will you be with them?" Monique asked, bagging his new threads.

"No, this is _serious_ cheer leading," Ron's voice showed just a touch of bitterness. "A mascot has no place."

"That tanks," Monique told him. "I've seen the routines and you work just as hard as anyone." Her smile grew a little sly. "Besides, that little number you and Tara do is awesome."

"I'll adjust, just as the ladies on the squad have." Ron shrugged, thinking about how his workout time was now concentrated on his katas.

"Anyway, when you see your girlfriend's eyes light up, remember to thank me when we meet again."

Ron promised to do so, then left to visit the Space Center, since Chippy seemed to want to spend most of her free time there. He had another excellent session of meditating, increasing his powers. He spent extra time, knowing that he would be expected to take Tara on a date tomorrow night...assuming that she felt up to it. Ron smiled a little, as he had an information source on the bus.

By the time the squad's bus showed up at the school on Saturday afternoon, Ron had spoken to Kim. Since cheer leading didn't have the same following that most of the sports enjoyed, there was only a small crowd to greet them. Ron was ready with a half-dozen, dyed blue and yellow roses. He spotted the squad's parents and boyfriends. He went among the parents, offering each of them a rose to either give to their daughter or allow a sweetheart the honor. He wasn't surprised when Mr. and Mrs. King insisted that he do the honors for Tara. Mrs. Dr. Possible thought Felix giving the rose to Kim was fine...and put a firm hand on Dr. James Possible's arm when he moved to protest. Jess's father was fine with Steve giving the rose to his daughter, and Liz's mother actually insisted that the girl's date from New Years Eve do the honors...much to the teen's surprise. Bonnie, Hope and Marcella would each get her rose from a parent.

As per KP's warning, the squad looked tired but not fatigued. Ron led the small crowd in the Mad Dogs chant while the girls climbed out of the small bus. Once they were all off, Kim held up the second place trophy and offered words of thanks to the squad and to those who had shown up to congratulate them. When she was done, Ron decided that he would have to be the first to present a flower. He stepped up to Tara and presented her with the rose. The way her eyes brightened was worth every penny. He then took a chance and gave her a quick peck on the cheek, deciding that if cheerleaders could give wrestlers that token of affection when they presented medals, a mascot could give the same token to a cheerleader.

Felix was next, presenting Kim with her rose. The redhead crouched down so that Felix could also give her the peck on the cheek. Liz's beau actually had to be prodded forward by the cheerleader's mother, but he handed the rose over and offered the quick smooch, something that left the squad's other redhead blushing...but smiling. When Steve stepped forward to give Jessica her rose, the blonde proved to be clever. When her boyfriend leaned forward to give her the peck on the cheek, she turned at the last moment on got her peck on the mouth. The remainder of the squad applauded her quick thinking.

Ron stood back as his girlfriend's parents greeted their daughter. After a little talk, Tara approached him.

"I'm hungry, but I don't feel like going out to eat," she told him. "I'm going to have dinner at home with my folks, but can you come over in an hour and a half?"

Ron agreed to this. It gave him some time to make sure his homework was ready and to perform kata a little bit.

Chippy had to chase him out of the back yard to make it to his girlfriend's house at the proper time. When he arrived, Tara, dressed in her sweat suit, answered the door and ushered him to the basement. January nights were cold, so the fire was lit. Tara had a movie set up in the television.

"I'm feeling tired," she told him.

"I don't have to stay long, if you're really beat," he told her.

She offered him a glare that said that he better not leave his statement at that.

"Although sitting and cuddling sounds great," he quickly added. Her expression quickly softened. She directed him to one end of the couch, sat next to him and drew a blanket over them before starting the movie.

"The heater on the bus wasn't working right," she told him, as a romantic comedy started. "I've been cold all day."

The movie was sort of cheesy for Ron's taste and he couldn't help but think about how much he would prefer either meditating, training or kata.

"Ron?" Tara murmured. "Was it your idea to give all of the cheerleaders those roses?"

"I wanted to give you one," Ron told her. "Then I thought the other girls would feel a little left out."

"You made everyone's day," she smiled and turned to face him. "That was the first flower a boy's ever given me."

She kissed him and he kissed back.

But, in reality, he was just going through the motions.

She didn't seem to notice his lack of real desire and deepened the kissing. He decided that if this made her happy, he'd go along with it and he was still going through the motions when she started to work at his neck. Finally, when she eased him fully onto his back and pressed herself up against him, he found himself really getting into the action...physically.

Unfortunately, he had done his self improvement already that day, so had already enjoyed his real emotional surge, this feeling wasn't as strong as it should be for first love.

Outside the King House, a dark-clad figure observed a tiny piece of metal in its palm. When the metal changed from gray to red, the figure flowed away from the house. Once clear, it pulled a cell phone from the folds of dark cloth and pressed a single button. The phone was pulled close to cloth-covered lips so that a quiet voice could whisper into the microphone.

"It's getting worse."

* * *

 _A/N: As always, my thanks to Joe Stoppinghem for beta reading...and for coming up with some Ron-like quotes to use.  
_


	12. Chapter 12

"Alright people, LISTEN UP!" Kim flinched, wishing that Mr. Barkin would find a new way of greeting the home room students. "I have a few announcements before setting your young, forming minds onto this; another day's journey of academic development. First, congratulations go to the cheer squad for placing second at the sectional competition and therefore earning a trip to the national competition next week."

A murmur of respectful compliments sounded through the room, with most of the students looking at Kim, Tara and Bonnie to do so.

"Secondly, we have a new exchange student from the Yamanouchi School in Japan," Barkin continued. "Last year, Hirotaka found himself rather distracted by certain social interruptions. Yamanouchi has sent another student to us for this week without asking for one in return. Please welcome Miss Yori Tanaka."

When the Japanese girl walked into the room, she drew pretty much every male eye. Fortunately for the janitors, she wasn't wearing the stereotypical Japanese schoolgirl uniform, otherwise the custodial staff would have been working overtime to clean up the male drool. Still, the jeans and shirt she was wearing, even though they weren't all that tight, revealed that she had a very athletic figure. Suddenly, Kim realized that Ron might have met the girl...Yori...last year. She looked at her best friend and became immediately suspicious. While the rest of the male contingent had appreciative expressions, Ron looked both worried and curious. Kim did some math in her head and didn't like what she came up with. When homeroom was released, Kim made it her mission to keep a discrete eye on the new girl.

After two classes, Kim suspected that Yori was watching Ron but the rest of the morning changed her mind; Yori was observing either Tara, or Tara and Ron's interactions. At lunch, the new girl joined the two blondes, prompting Tara and Ron to relocate to a large table, allowing additional friends to sit with them. Soon, Kim found herself sitting with Ron, Tara, Yori, Felix and Monique.

"So Yori," Monique addressed the exchange student. "Did you meet Ron during his visit last year?"

"Indeed, Monique-san," the girl responded. "I greeted him at the airport and helped him adjust to our lifestyle."

"Oh, so you spent a great deal of time with him?" Monique looked like a cat that was ready to pounce on a mouse.

"We shared classes and I assisted him with a few...off campus activities that were associated with school activities," Yori answered. "I will be so bold to say that we befriended each other."

"Oh?" Kim remarked, with a pointed look at Ron. "I wonder why he didn't say anything."

"It just didn't seem that important," Ron piped up.

"So why aren't you taking classes with Ron?" Tara asked. Kim noted that the blonde girl seemed a little curious about the fact that Yori and Ron had some sort of association, but she didn't appear overly bothered by it.

"The intent is for me to learn more about American Culture by interacting with others," Yori answered. "Should I have questions about what I encounter, I will ask him."

"You will?" Ron asked. "Yori, why didn't you tell me you were going to be visiting?"

"This is my way of telling you, Stoppable-san," she grinned at him.

"How long are you going to be with us?" Kim asked.

"The plan is for me to attend classes until this time next month." She told the redhead. "If at the end of that time, enough knowledge has not been learned, I will remain."

Enough time had been spent talking that the teens now concentrated on their meals. All too soon, the bell rang again, calling the students away from their repasts and back to academic growth. Kim's suspicions had not been addressed with the short talk over lunch, so she continued to watch the new girl. With the afternoon classes completed, she was convinced that Yori was showing a disturbing amount of attention to Tara, and her interactions with Ron.

To Kim's surprise, Yori was present at cheer practice after school. "I wish to observe this physical activity," she explained to Kim. "In Japan, we see plenty of American football and basketball but we don't see other physical activities such as this."

Kim had no good reason to deny the exchange student this opportunity...unless the girl proved disruptive. Quite the opposite, Yori sat in the bleachers and watched the squad. Kim occasionally glanced at Yori and noted that often, while the observer's face was on the squad, her eyes were focused on Ron, who was working on his own routines. The redhead was serious about cheering, so she didn't allow this piece of knowledge affect her. It was a good workout for the squad and Kim was satisfied with the progress when she called the halt. After some encouraging words to the squad, Kim asked Ron and Tara to stay.

Kim asked the two blondes to perform the mascot routine and started the stereo. By now, Tara and Ron had it solid and had added a few more moves. It had evolved from flirty to downright sexy and the two clearly enjoyed the routine. When finished, Kim released them and turned to Yori as the two dancers made their way to their respective locker rooms.

"Did you see what you wanted to?" Kim addressed the visitor, now that they had some privacy. She was sure that her counterpart would pick up her double meaning.

"I observed what I wished to, Possible-San," Yori noted. "I will wish to learn more very soon. Let me wish you a pleasant evening." The Japanese girl offered a slight bow and left the gym. Wondering what Yori meant, Kim made her own way to the lockers.

When Kim returned to the gym, Ron was waiting for Tara and Yori was gone. Kim sat next to her friend and asked him about his week in Japan. Ron was more than a little nervous and incomplete with his answers, leaving Kim to wonder just what had happened during that time. Before she could probe any more, Tara showed up, prompting Ron to leave. The two were soon under a blanket for the walk to Tara's house and Kim was on her way home.

That night, after dinner, Kim was in her room finishing her homework when she heard a light rap on her window. She looked up to see Yori standing outside the glass. Thinking that she might finally get some complete and honest answers, Kim opened the window. She noted that when Yori slipped inside, she gently eased her weight to the floor so that she wouldn't make a sound. There was more to this exchange student than what met the eye. Kim closed the window and turned to face her unexpected guest, gesturing Yori towards the desk chair while Kim sat on her bed.

"Thank you for allowing me inside, Possible-san," Yori began. "I hoped to speak to you of my concerns towards Stoppable-san."

"I noticed you paying a lot of attention to Tara and him today," Kim told her. "What's wrong with Ron?"

"Before I answer you, some preliminary information may be needed," her visitor said. Yori then explained the reality of the Yamanouchi School and the events of Ron's visit last year.

"Yet now the Lotus Blade is troubled," Yori told her. "Stoppable-san's Mystical Monkey Power is growing at an alarming rate."

"I don't understand," Kim admitted. "Ron's a good guy, so isn't it a good thing that he gets more powerful?"

"His power grows too quickly for him to assimilate it within his life," Yori informed her. "I observed Stoppable-san's workout during cheer practice. He was performing kata that both enhance his Mystical Monkey Power and attunes him to it."

"I knew about that kata," Kim shrugged. "It turned a spirit that Fiske had called up against us back onto Fiske. Wade said that it would also make Ron a little stronger."

"That was the first kata," Yori pointed out. "He now performs three such katas as well as meditations. Did you know about the additional katas?"

"No," Kim admitted.

"Furthermore, one of Fiske's monkey ninjas now lives in his...house in a tree...and trains him every morning," Yori continued. "Did you know about this monkey?"

"No," Kim frowned. "But that still doesn't say why him growing in power is a bad thing."

"You are his closest friend," Yori pointed out. "You would benefit the greatest by his increasing power and would need to incorporate this skill into your plans, yet he keeps his efforts secret from you. Does this not make you suspicious?"

"Well..." Kim thought about it.

"Have you noted his growth in capability?" Yori asked.

"Yes," Kim noted, although she took a moment to think. "He is able to defeat the sensei at my dojo. He can stand against me for a fair amount of time...and he picked that up in a matter of a couple of months."

"Such improvement is not natural," Yori told Kim.

"But dangerous?" Kim prompted.

"Such an increase in power for one as young as we is not wise," Yori answered. "The one gaining the power may become obsessed with the power; one could say addicted. He may lose his interest in those aspects of his life that do not revolve around his increasing power."

"Keeping secrets sort of follows a drug abuser's model," Kim mused. "Keeping the 'use', if you will, secret from family and friends."

"I do not enjoy being a voyeur," Yori continued. "Yet I have observed the interaction between Stoppable-san and King-san. Stoppable-san appears to be losing interest in King-san, even as King-san seems to becoming more...amorous...towards him."

"Every couple has its ups and downs," Kim protested.

"Have you noted instances where Stoppable-san seems reluctant to associate with King-san, or perhaps would prefer to enhance his power rather than engage in...romantic activities...with her?"

"Yes," Kim answered, after a moment's thought. "The dance routine I had them show you earlier. Some time ago, he said that he wished he could still perform the first kata rather than it."

"I do not fully understand American Culture and norms," Yori admitted. "Yet King-san seems a very desirable girlfriend. She is attractive, kindly and appears to be strongly attracted to Stoppable-san. I have observed them on multiple occasions and as time has gone by, Stoppable-san seems less and less interested in her."

"Yori met Kim's eyes with a serious gaze. "As his Mystical Monkey Power has increased, his romantic interest has waned. Soon, his interest in grades, friends and family may wane in the face of the joy and pride he gains from his increasing Mystical Monkey Power."

"Alright, I'm not completely convinced, but I'm willing to listen," Kim told her guest. "What do you need me to do?"

"Maintain your friendship with Stoppable-san," Yori told her. "Even though you are dating Renton-san, make time to...hang out...with Stoppable-san. Your friendship helps keep him attached to something other than his increasing power."

"Anything else?"

"Introduce me to King-san," Yori continued. "I do not wish to frighten her, but I need to ask her to maintain her romantic interest in Stoppable-san. Much as your friendship, the romantic relationship he has enjoyed with King-san gives him something other than power to cherish. Also, introduce me to his parents."

"It's that bad?" Kim asked. "I mean, we usually try to handle things under the 'rents' radar, so to speak."

"It is this serious," Yori assured the redhead. "I wish to meet with his friends, family and his girlfriend. I wish to meet with each separately, even if it takes additional time. I wish all those who are emotionally close to Stoppable-san to be convinced and prepared to help. Should we succeed in forcing Stoppable-san to take a look at himself, he may be emotionally devastated. He will need others to show him that he is not a bad person and is not alone."

"Okay, that makes sense," Kim nodded. "I'll try to have a word with either Monique or Tara tomorrow."

"Monique-san?"

"She's Ron's lab partner and a friend," Kim told the ninja. "She and my boyfriend, Felix, are on friendly terms with Ron. He doesn't have many friends but he's very close to those he has. If you observe cheer practice tomorrow, I'll talk to you then and tell you if I've managed any meetings."

"I have a suggestion," Yori offered. "The cheer squad will leave for your competition next week. Perhaps I should wait until then to address Stoppable-san. If he becomes angry at me, so be it! I live far from him and he will not find...alienation...from me to be a painful experience. If you and King-san return to...pick up the pieces, so to speak, it will not damage his relationship with those closer to him."

"You're willing to be the bad guy?" Kim asked.

"If needed," Yori agreed. "Yamanouchi takes his continued, proper development very seriously."

"Then talk to me tomorrow, after the rest of the squad is in the shower," Kim suggested. "I'll tell you who I've managed to talk to."

Yori agreed, and Kim let her out through the window. As soon as she was alone, Kim called Wade and asked him about Ron's recent, as in after the mission to prevent Fiske from taking the amulet, activity. She got several shocks.

"No more katas, meditations or other ceremonies," she told Wade. "Tell him that you're having trouble with the full translations or something. Also, it really bothers me that you didn't tell me about him bringing in a monkey trainer."

"He told me that you had a lot going on," Wade protested. "He wanted to become better without you being worried."

"I think I should have been worried," Kim retorted. "Anyway, let me know any additional developments."

"Do you really think he could become detached from everyone?" Wade asked. "If he becomes analytical, what's the big?"

"Eventually, he may not look at people as people," Kim told her friend. "If he just looks at people as either obstacles or means to gain more power he could become..." Kim struggled to explain her concerns.

"He could become another Fiske," Wade finished.

"And one is more than enough," Kim finished.

The next day was dicey, as Kim did not have a chance to speak to Tara, alone. However, she managed to speak to Monique. The fashion maven was a little skeptical, but she agreed that Ron didn't seem to be quite as lovey-dovey towards Tara as he had been...even though the girl was still obviously crazy for him. She agreed to help when the time came and to keep an eye on the boy in the meantime.

To Kim's surprise, there was no problem convincing Felix of the potential issue. While he was skeptical about mystic powers, his own obsession with robotics had left him socially isolated at times. It was something that he didn't want anyone else to go through and if it meant treating a friend like a friend, it was something he was willing to do. Kim kissed him in thanks...actually, she kissed him because she felt like it, but it made for a good excuse.

Cheer practice came with another shock, in the form of Mr. Barkin waiting in the gym.

"Here to observe our routine, Mr. Barkin?" Kim asked.

"Negative, Possible," the big man answered. "It turns out the the forms of Physical Education that our institution offers do not match the needs of our foreign exchange student. Miss Tanaka, please come here."

Yori, wearing a training Gi, walked into the gym.

"According to Miss Tanaka, her idea of Physical Education is Kung-fu training. Furthermore, she claims that Stoppable is trained in this noble form of artistic, precise discipline." Mr. Barkin's expression told everyone how capable he thought that Ron was. "Because Stoppable has no real part in the current climate of squad competition, I have deemed it acceptable that he train with our guest instead of working on routines that will not be utilized. Miss Tanaka, Mr. Stoppable is at your disposal. Miss Possible, continue your endeavors."

Kim immediately started the cheer squad drilling on their routine. At first, concentrating was not difficult, as Yori and Ron were going through basic stretching and calisthenics. Later, while Yori and Ron performed basic moves, the squad was still in the zone. It was when the sparring started that Kim had difficulty keeping the squad focused...as she was having trouble focusing, herself.

The redhead saw immediately that Yori was very close to her own level in skill. In fact, Kim had to admit that a confrontation between them would be too close to call. Ron was proving to be surprisingly capable, showing a disturbing amount of improvement since the last time she had sparred against him. When she spoke to Yori last night, she wasn't completely convinced. She still wasn't, but she was definitely trending in that direction.

Through massive force of will, Kim managed to keep herself and the rest of the squad focused on their routine until the scheduled end of practice. When Kim declared practice over, Yori declared her workout over. The Japanese girl and Ron exchanged bows and Ron, exhausted and somewhat battered, made his way to the boys locker room. Kim had a few minutes to talk to Yori, alone.

"Was that a good idea?" Kim demanded. "I thought you said immersing himself in Tai Shen Pek Kwar training would increase his power."

"This is honest training, Possible-san," Yori assured her. "I was able to keep him from performing ceremonial kata while you were drilling your squad. He may feel satisfied with such training that I can provide and forgo the mystical rites in secret, but I cannot guarantee this. Did you manage to speak to any of his other acquaintances?"

"Monique, Felix and Wade," Kim told her. "They're all on board and Wade's promised to not give him any more ceremonial katas."

"When will I be able to speak to King-san?" Yori asked.

"I'll call her tonight," Kim offered. "I'll try to set up a meeting with the three of us. I'll tell her that you're interested in dating customs in America and you'd like to get her opinion since you know Ron. If you give me a way to contact you, I'll let you know when we can meet with her, either tonight or maybe tomorrow."

"This sounds most clever," Yori nodded. "Perhaps I can provide another suggestion. Should another of your missions occur while you are at the cheer competition, perhaps I could accompany Stoppable-san on them. A lengthy transportation will give me a great deal of time to speak to him, perhaps in an isolated setting."

"I'm not sure," Kim told her. "I'd like to be there. He's my best friend."

"As I said before," Yori pointed out. "If this talk generates animosity, it is a burden I can bear with but little pain, as I am not close to him. Should one of his close friends be the source of anger, it will be difficult seeing him every day."

"Okay, you have a point," Kim conceded. "Give me your contact info and I'll pass it on to Wade. Just wait until you're coming back from a mission before talking to him. Going into a mission angry with each other is a bad idea."

Yori nodded and gave Kim a phone number, donned some outer clothing and walked, barefoot, out into the bitterly cold night.

The rest of the squad had a head start getting showered and dressed, so everyone was gone by the time Kim left the locker room. Shrugging, she walked home and went through the usual, evening routine. At eight o'clock, she called Tara and could almost hear the blush in her friend's voice when she agreed to speak about dating the following night. Kim then called Yori, arranging a meeting with the three at the Kings' house. Finally, she called Ron and told him she wouldn't be able to make the Wednesday night training session at her dojo, but encouraged him to make it.

Wednesday night saw her and Yori outside the King Home. Tara's father answered, invited them inside and turned the visitors over to her daughter, who led them downstairs. Looking around, Kim realized that much of the basement had been given over to Tara as her space. Soon, the three teens were seated in front of a fireplace, ready to speak. Yori outlined the real reason of the meeting, urging Tara to maintain her romantic relationship with Ron. To Kim's surprise, Tara looked increasingly angry as Yori explained the situation.

"So that's all I am?" Tara's voice was trembling as she faced Kim. "Somehow, I'm just the pretty face and the pretty body that has to keep some hero in line?"

"Tara, it's not like that..." Kim tried to explain.

"It sure sounds like that!" Tara snarled her down, the angry expression looking out of place on her usually cheerful face. "I've improved myself! My grades were good before I started dating Ron, but now we both made the Dean's List! I made up the dance number we used to do! I helped you with the choreography for the new routine! I helped him rescue those two boys from the creek and helped people during the blizzard. I'm not just some blonde bimbo, but is that what you expect of me? Am I just supposed to throw myself at him if he starts going Sith, or something? Is that it? All I am is some sort of sex object?"

Kim started to object, to be interrupted by Yori, of all people.

"Is Stoppable-san only a sex object to you, King-san?" Yori asked, gently.

Tara seemed taken aback by the question.

"Why do you date him, King-san?" Yori's next question was just as gentle.

"Well, I have fun when I'm with him," Tara said. "He doesn't mind if we're studying, skating, skiing, just hanging with each other or anything else, we have fun. He's cute and he's nice to me and almost everyone else."

"If one of us were to ask him why he dates you, I believe we would receive a similar answer," Yori told her. "He enjoys himself when he is with you and we wish to remind him of this."

"We do not ask you to alter your behavior," Yori continued. "The romantic relationship he has with you is but one of several relationships that he enjoys. My master fears that his pursuit of power is becoming an obsession, perhaps an addiction, with him. My wish is to point out how his pursuit of power may harm the friendships he has, the familial love he enjoys with his parents and the romantic love he shares with you."

"So..." Tara prompted.

"Kiss him if you feel like it," Kim shrugged. "Cuddle him if you feel like it. Talk trash with him or do homework together if you feel like it. Act like you would have before we spoke to you, but be aware that this power obsession of his might make him act a little odd. If he's acting a little...off...please let me know."

"Got it," Tara blushed a little. "Kim, if you need me to talk to him..."

"We will ask you to do so," Yori assured her. "He is most fortunate to have you as a girlfriend."

Kim watched her best friend closely the next two days. He seemed a little distracted, as if he were going through his day as quickly as possible in order to get home and spend time by himself. He was showing affection towards Tara but the playfulness, like when he breathed on her hand before the winter break, didn't seem to be there. He worked out, hard, with Yori during cheer practice and walked Tara home at night under the blanket; but was it just her imagination or did he seem to be pretty much just acting like he was supposed to act, rather than enjoying the close proximity to the pretty girl?

Saturday morning the cheer squad, minus Ron, was in the school parking lot, loading onto buses for the week-long travel and competition. Ron was there, saying good-bye to Tara. To Kim's surprise and delight, Felix showed up to wish her a farewell. Tara had forgotten a bag in her father's pickup and of course, Ron walked with her back to the vehicle to retrieve it. Kim suspected that the purpose of the walk was to allow a little display of affection that Barkin wouldn't permit within his line of sight. Tara had a curious look on her face when she returned.

In due course, the bags and the girls were loaded on the vehicle and the vehicle was on the road. Tara sat with Kim and when she had a moment, spoke to her.

"I don't know if this is strange behavior or not," the blonde girl told the redhead. "I reminded Ron that we would be back just in time for Valentine's Day and it caught him by surprise. Then he said that he had never had a girlfriend on Valentine's Day before now."

"That's probably not odd," Kim told her. "He's never thought much of the day, so he probably needed the reminder. For now, let's just worry about winning."

Kim was interrupted by the Kimmunicator's tone.

"I just tracked down Fiske," Wade told her. "He's in Myanmar and appears to be stealing information. There's been a series of break-ins at various temples and small museums, but nothing stolen. I think he's trying to get more information about the spirit that's stalking him."

"When and where do I get my ride?" Kim asked.

"Why don't you let Ron and Yori take this?" Wade asked. "They are meeting with a ride at Ron's house, right now. You told me that Yori is very close to your level and Ron is vastly improved. Not only that, but they'll have backup from Myanmar Law Enforcement, once they confirm Fiske's presence."

"Are you sure about this?" Kim asked.

"Positive," he assured her. "I have it all set up. Ron and Yori are going to be traveling for close to eighteen hours just to get there. Concentrate on your cheer competition, we've got this one."

"Okay, but keep me posted," Kim told her friend.

The redhead had an uneasy feeling, thinking that Fiske was the last person Ron, with his potential Mystical Monkey Power addiction, should be facing.

"So, as your usual partner would say, what is the sitch?" Yori asked Ron. Sitting in the back of the latest in a series of flights, the two teens discussed the upcoming confrontation.

"At least we don't have to parachute in," Ron told her, with a sigh of relief. "We'll actually land, catch a delivery truck to the neighborhood, meet up with the local police, then deal with Fiske and his monkeys."

"You have more experience in this sort of endeavor than I do," Yori admitted. "Even though I have somewhat greater fighting capability. It would be best if you, as the saying goes, call the shots."

"You have no idea how long I've waited to hear those words," Ron mused. "Okay, when we get to the house, let me go here..."

The blonde boy spent several minutes going over his plan with his temporary partner.

"Is it wise for us to be separated?" Yori asked. "Should you be overwhelmed, I may not be able to reach you in time."

"It will give you a surprise shot on Monkeyfist," Ron countered. "If we can take him out, the fight's over."

"I have misgivings, but cannot come up with a better plan," Yori admitted.

Shortly after their discussion, the aircraft landed and the two teens climbed into the delivery van for a ride to a more upscale part of town. As Wade had predicted, Fiske left his windows open in the warm weather, allowing the teens to listen from outside. Once they could hear Fiske speaking, Ron remained at the window while Yori sneaked to the opposite side of the house.

* * *

"...have moved the instructional tablets to a secret and undoubtedly well guarded locale." Ron heard Fiske tell the monkeys. "It would take a great deal of time and effort, with little promise of success, to obtain them. I wonder how long it will take me to determine Mr. Lode's physical location? He undoubtedly has copies of such ceremonies. It will be easy to persuade Mr. Lode to part with them! Afterwards, it will be little effort to make sure he doesn't speak to anyone else about this matter."

"Not a good plan, Monty!" Ron snapped, jumping through the window to stand in a large room with Fiske and his trained monkeys. For a moment, Ron wondered if he had just performed an incredibly foolish act. He pushed his doubts away, this was no time for second guessing.

"The bumbling pretender," Fiske sneered. "On the contrary, Stoppable, I would say that my plan is excellent. What flaws do you see?"

"You'll have to deal with me before you get to Wade," Ron growled, slipping into a fighting stance.

"That is no flaw," Fiske chuckled. "That's a bonus. Monkey Ninjas, seize him!"

"Stay away from this!" Ron ordered the simians.

To Ron's relief; and Fiske's apparent shock, the monkeys backed away from both humans, making sure to keep clear of the direct line between the two.

"What is the meaning of this!" Fiske demanded of the boy. The shock on the older man's face was probably the most satisfying sight Ron had ever seen.

"I'm the ultimate monkey master," Ron answered him. "Fortunately for you, I see no reason to turn them onto you. This is between you and Team Possible."

"So where is the cheerleader?" Fiske demanded, standing up and working his limbs, loosening up for a coming confrontation.

"Cheer leading competition back in the States," Ron answered, truthfully. "She wanted to come along, but I talked her into not letting you interrupt what's important to her."

"Then you are a fool," Fiske chuckled. "You are no match for me!"

Fiske leaped at the boy. Ron hopped back, slightly, blocked the oncoming kick and launched a combination of his own. Fiske blocked the kick and one punch, but took a surprisingly strong punch to the solar plexus. He actually retreated, throwing a pair of his own punches at the oncoming teen. Ron managed to block both strikes and responded with a kick-strike-kick combination. Fiske either avoided or blocked the three before he put enough distance between his opponent and himself so that he could size the teen up, anew.

"You've improved, Stoppable," Fiske's voice held less of a sneer than it had moments ago. "Let's see just how much."

This time, the Englishman advanced at a swift but measured pace, seeking to back Ron up against the wall where he could bring his superior strength and reach to bear. He seemed surprised when Ron sidestepped and maintained his distance. As per Chippy's instructions, Ron made a series of sudden advances, trying to quickly close the distance, unleash his strikes then retreat outside of Fiske's superior reach. Soon, both combatants sported numerous bruises and contusions and were breathing heavily. Fiske's greater size meant that he could absorb more such punishment but Ron's youth gave him greater endurance. Several more minutes went by before Ron started to back away towards the window he had used to enter the building. Fiske smiled and kept the pressure on the boy.

Finally, Ron was cornered against the wall; if he turned to escape through the window, Fiske would have a shot at his back. Standing off far enough so that he could hit the boy but still remain out of range of the teen's shorter limbs, Fiske started his barrage of kicks and punches.

Only to suddenly receive a hammer blow to his right kidney! He staggered forward, the kick he had just thrown missed the boy and hit the wall as Stoppable lunged forward and landed a knee to his rib-cage Fiske staggered backward, absorbing another kidney strike before he could spin around to see the Japanese girl he had encountered at Yamanouchi dancing gracefully away from him. Now Stoppable's fist met his kidney before he could return his attention to the boy. He rushed Stoppable, trying to take one of his tormentors out of the contest. The boy proved capable of blocking or dodging his strikes, until the girl closed in again to land first a knife-hand strike, then a punch to the same, abused kidney. Not thinking clearly, the Englishman turned on the girl and rushed her; only to find her capable of holding off his assault long enough for Stoppable's foot to introduce itself to his inexplicably popular kidney. Fiske's guard dropped and the girl landed a strong roundhouse to his rib-cage.

Monkeyfist could only withstand the assault for a few more minutes; no matter how he maneuvered, one teen remained behind him and the other stayed in front of him. Whichever teen was in front of him concentrated on defense, occasionally striking at his rib-cage Whichever teen was behind him provided his right kidney with a distressingly thorough and violent level of attention. Finally, his back muscles spasmed to the point he could barely move, much less fight, he dropped to one knee. The girl reacted immediately, landing a spinning back kick to his face and knocking him, stunned, to his back. Stoppable loomed over him.

"Well, it looks like you acquired some additional jewelry," Ron noted. The blonde reached down, grabbed Fiske's talisman and yanked it away from him, snapping the chord that held it around his neck. "I'm sure the officials in Ethiopia will like to have this back."

"Leave my friends out of this," the teenager continued, putting the artifact in his pocket. "You started this; you stole the artifacts, you called up the spirit. You're the one who decided to turn to the supernatural to solve your problems and now you're the one who's paying the price. I think that I've just proven that I'm a match for you and I have friends that are willing to back me in any confrontation with you. If you harm anyone else in this stupid quest of yours, so help me I'll track you down and one of us will not survive THAT meeting."

" _I'm_ the Ultimate Monkey Master," Ron snarled at his rival. "I never wanted it; you pushed it on me! I never wanted the Mystical Monkey Power; you forced me to take it! You've caused every setback and humiliation you've suffered since I first met you, but you still find some way to blame me or try to mess with some innocent whenever you have a problem! Here, I thought _I_ was the immature one!"

"Just go home, Fiske," Ron concluded. "Some officials are about to come in here after we leave, they'll tell you that you're no longer welcome in Myanmar and will let you go, as long as you leave their country. Go home and Wade will continue to try to find a solution to your problem...a solution other than the one I could very easily make use of right now."

He turned to the monkeys. "Attend to your master," he told them. "More humans will come here shortly, do not interfere. They will tend to his wounds and send him on his way. After that, serve your master or leave him, as each of you choose."

Ron walked out of the house, Yori at his side, without looking back.

Minutes later, several policemen rushed into the house. After they confirmed that there was no danger, a paramedic entered and tended to Fiske's wounds while an older man approached the injured criminal. Fiske looked up and recognized a senior, Buddhist Monk.

"I know what pursues you," the holy man told him. "And I know that you expect it to arrive here in after another week or so has passed. We will not delay you here. As your young antagonist stated, I simply wish you to leave my nation and not bother us."

With a gesture, the monk set the policemen to gathering up all of the notes and photographs Fiske had collected.

"Leave here within the next two days," the monk ordered him. "Should you do so, we will not prosecute you for the break-ins you have done. Should you tarry after two days, or should you ever return to this nation, we will remember and will detain you. Even if you avoid conviction, your imprisonment while awaiting trial will allow your pursuer to catch you. Leave, and bother us no more."

* * *

After giving the artifact to the monk, Ron and Yori climbed into a police van for a ride to the airport. Yori was very quiet, studying her American friend. Ron avoided eye contact, pride and shame warring within him over what he had just done.

"Change of plans," Wade told them. "I think I have a way of imprisoning the spirit! I need some precise measurements of Fiske's dungeon. I'm re-routing you through mainland Europe so that you can visit England on the way home."

"That's good, Wade," Ron replied, very quietly.

"Are you okay?" Wade asked.

"A little bruising," Ron reported. "But I don't know just how I should be feeling about what I just did."

"Just get home," Wade suggested. "We'll work it out when we can all get together."

Eventually, the teens found their way onto a military aircraft for the first leg of their return trip. Ron rubbed at his feet, feeling discomfort but not remembering taking an injury there. With greater privacy, Yori addressed the boy.

"Stoppable-san, while you conducted yourself with honor, your words to Fiske seemed very out of character," she pointed out.

"What was wrong with what I said?" He asked.

"Nothing," she admitted. "But it didn't seem...you. You were demanding of him, almost arrogant at times. When we faced him before, you were at times timid and at times humorous."

"People change, Yori," he murmured. "I've been afraid of him for so long; maybe it's time for me to return the favor."

"Do you wish people to fear you, Stoppable-san?" She asked, her eyes were intent on him.

"It's better than being mocked," Ron told her. "It's better than being discounted and abused."

"Is it?" She asked him. "Stoppable-san, I used to admire you for not holding a grudge or seeking petty revenge. For all the abuse and humiliation Fukisima heaped upon you, you did not retaliate in kind; you mocked him slightly after you captured him."

"I didn't injure Fiske any more than necessary," Ron pointed out.

"But you were very dark and threatening," Yori countered.

"Having a man try to kill my best friend and me a couple of times will do that," the American shot back. "Having him threaten Wade will do that." He paused for a moment. "Are you trying to say something?"

"You are not the same kindly boy I met in Japan," she told him. "I do not know if I like who you have become, Stoppable-san."

"Maybe being likable wasn't cutting it," Ron retorted, bitterly. "Maybe being the likable buffoon wasn't keeping people safe."

"So is that the reason for your change?" Yori persisted. "To keep those around you safe? Will you turn your back on those close to you in order to achieve this?"

"I haven't turned my back on anyone!" Ron stared at her, an incredulous look on his face. "I'm still there for anyone who wants me around! What are you getting at, Yori?"

"My apologies," she said, now contrite. "Perhaps I was overreacting to the...sitch...as you call it. What is our course of action at this time?"

"We have a series of rides taking us across the Middle East and into Europe," he answered. "That will take us to Fiske's castle in England. From there, we'll catch another ride to the east coast and from there, home to Colorado. It could be a couple of days' travel."

"Could I make a suggestion?" Yori was very polite now.

"Suggest away," he shrugged, taking off his shoes and rubbing at his feet.

"Does Mr. Cocoa Banana not have a facility in Milan, and does he not owe you a favor?" Yori suggested. "If we can arrange to pass through that city, perhaps an original Cocoa Banana creation will delight your girlfriend for Valentine's Day."

"It's a fair amount of trouble to put together," Ron grumbled, then saw Yori's eyes widen slightly. "Yeah, but I really should get Tara something. I'm sure she would like that; I'm not exactly fashion savvy, but I know someone who is."

Ron picked up the Kimmunicator and talked to Wade, having him arrange things with the fashion tycoon. They were in luck, as Cocoa Banana himself was in Milan at the time and was as emotional as ever, delighting in the idea of providing a returning hero with a new fashion to give to his lady love. Ron actually rolled his eyes at the sheer level of emotion the designer exuded over the speaker. He also consulted with Monique, asking the resident fashion maven to narrow the selections down to three, so that he could select one.

"Well, that's settled," Ron said, when the arrangements were made. "Tara should be happy with her gift."

The blonde boy settled into his seat to try to sleep. Yori watched him for a long time, wondering if this was the same boy who, only a few weeks previously, had gotten roses for the entire cheer team so that nobody would feel left out.

* * *

 _A/N: Again, my thanks to Joe Stoppinghem for beta reading._


	13. Chapter 13

"Okay, Wade, do you have everything you need?" Ron's voice was conveying the weariness the teen was feeling. He had become somewhat inured to long distance travel but this was, for all intents and purposes, a trip around the globe.

The stop in Milan had gone well, although Ron thought he should be more disturbed that Wade somehow knew Tara's exact measurements and was able to forward them to Cocoa. The blonde boy was now carrying an outfit that Cocoa, and Monique, assured him that Tara would love. He was still a little irked over the stop, but Yori had probably made a good point.

Revenge had been sweet, as the eccentric fashion designer had taken one look at the lithe ninja and had ushered her off to a fitting room. It had taken a couple of hours (not really wasted time, as they were waiting for their next ride) but Cocoa finally had Yori in a set of clothing that had turned the Japanese girl from cute to downright smoking. Of course, Yori had been terribly embarrassed by the attention. She took the new clothing and thanked the man very politely, but had quickly changed into something similar to Kim's mission gear...if a touch more modest.

Still, it had been a tiring journey. Now, the two teens stood in a level of Fiske's dungeon that was mostly open space, trying to make sure that they had all the information Wade needed. Neither was eager to return across the Atlantic just because they missed one measurement.

"I have what I need," Wade told him. "Once Fiske gets back home, I'll try to convince him to give my Wadebot free reign of his castle. If he won't agree, I may need you to help convince him. Then, I'll be able to set up a trap for the spirit."

"Uh, Wade?" Ron asked, as he and his companion made their way out of the dungeons. "Why does Fiske have to be here?"

"He has a vital role to play in my plan," Wade assured his friend.

"And that would be?" Ron prompted.

"Bait," Wade grinned wide.

"Y'know Wade," Ron mused. "I'm liking you a little more, every day."

"Your ride will pick you up at the nearest village," Wade told him, suppressing a chuckle. "It's about a two kilometer walk. You'll be on your flight in about three hours. Try to get some sleep then."

"Sounds like a plan, my friend," Ron told him. He and Yori were now under an overcast, English sky. Shrugging, the two set out to meet their latest ride.

Ron's feet started to hurt by the time they finished the hike to the village. Between the hike and the truck ride to London, Ron was getting very nervous. Yori was clearly pensive about something, but not ready to speak. Some strange sense, and he was sure it had nothing to do with the Mystical Monkey Power, told him that there would be an unpleasant conversation during the six hour flight across the Ocean. They soon found themselves on yet another cargo plane, light meals for the trip in hand and lifting off from England. Ron ate about half of his food before making a show of stretching and settling in for sleep. Yori, unfortunately, wasn't about to be dissuaded from her mission.

"Will you speak with me about my concerns, Stoppable-san?" She asked.

"We might as well," Ron sighed. "If memory serves, you were telling me that I had become mean and frightening."

"That was not my intent," Yori corrected him. "It is my concern that your pursuit of greater Mystical Monkey Power is becoming an obsession for you, to the detriment of other aspects of your life."

"That goes beyond whacked!" Ron protested.

"Stoppable-san, I know that you perform kata and meditations designed to enhance your Mystical Monkey Power and Tai Shen Pek Kwar abilities." She told him.

"Have you been talking to Wade?" Ron demanded. He foresaw a serious talk with his young friend about keeping mouths shut.

"I have not needed to," she countered, her voice calm. "Master Sensei heard the songs of the Lotus Blade, the songs that echo your own Chi. He heard the songs of power growing rapidly, too rapidly to be explained by any other means."

"That kata saved our lives," Ron retorted. "Fiske had set some sort of spirit on us. Completely by mistake, that kata turned it back onto him!"

"But there have been more," Yori told him. "Do not deny it! You have learned additional katas and a meditation."

"So what if I am getting better?" Ron protested. "Aren't I one of the good guys? Isn't it right that I become stronger?"

"You cannot sleep until you perform such!" Yori answered. "You cannot enjoy friendships and romances unless you perform them regularly!"

"My Chi's songs, heard second hand, can tell you this?" He snorted a mirthless chuckle.

"Do not underestimate or mock Master Sensei's abilities!" She snapped back. "And we did not depend only upon your Chi! Master Sensei sent me to observe you, Stoppable-san. I have seen with my own eyes your reactions to these katas! I know that you have one of Fiske's former minions teaching you Tai Shen Pek Kwar! I know that close, romantic contact with King-san does not give you the joy that your katas and meditation give you!"

"Where do you get that last one?" Ron snarled.

"I _observed_ you, Stoppable-san," she challenged him. "And in my hand, I held a shard of mystical metal that has sat next to the Lotus Blade for over three centuries, that sings the same songs the blade sings, which are the same songs your Chi sings! On the evening you returned from Ethiopia, I observed you with King-san. The shard sang songs of comfort and love. My heart soared that you had found a person who could give you such joy; to whom you could give such joy. On the eve of the New Year, I watched you climb into her bed and hold her close, but the shard did not sing songs of comfort, love and desire! The shard sang songs of disquiet and longing for greater strength!" I saw you perform kata outside her home and only then, when you were close to her again, did your Chi sing the songs that a young man close to his desire should sing! That night, I saw you perform kata again, even though you were in pain!"

"Mere weeks later, she returned from a competition that you were unable to attend," Yori continued, as Ron faced her with growing rage. "I saw a young man purchase a rose for his love, then purchase additional such so that all of the girls would feel special. I saw a young man purchase and wear clothing that his love would fine appealing. Later, I watched a beautiful and kindly young woman show her affection to you, but the shard sang songs of irritation and disappointment and finally, of lust! Explain that to me, Stoppable-san! How can the young man who is so thoughtful that he will make all the squad feel special, not feel desire when such a lovely and kindly young woman lies atop him and shows her desire for him?"

"So that's the problem?" Ron snarled back. "I'm not acting like some stereotypical, hormone-crazed teenage boy, so there's something wrong with me? There's something wrong with showing some respect and restraint?"

"Restraint is commendable," Yori answered. "So long as it is not overly irritating to King-san. But we are not speaking of your restraint, we are speaking of your Chi, and it does not lie. You felt no desire! Deny it if you can!"

"What business is my romantic life to you, to Master Sensei or to Yamanouchi?" Ron was now yelling. "I'm not harming Tara!"

"Your romantic life indicates that your priorities are wrong!" The Japanese girl pleaded with him to understand her. "You have embraced power at the expense of desire! How much longer will it be before power becomes more important than friendship or even familial love? That is why Master Sensei sent me to observe you! That is why he instructed me to speak to you! That is why he asked me to speak to those closest to you!"

"What!? You've brought other people in on this?" Ron demanded. "Who all have you talked to?"

"Only Possible-san and King-san at this time," Yori answered, truthfully. "Possible-san spoke to..."

"So now my dating life isn't private, as far as Yamanouchi is concerned!" Ron couldn't decide if he should shout or cry. Suddenly, his eyes flew wide.

"Wait a minute!" Ron's face looked like he had just learned a horrible truth. "Isn't that convenient? I visit Yamanouchi and who comes to the airport to pick me up? An incredibly pretty girl, my age, who starts getting really friendly with me. Because of that girl, I wind up doing what Yamanouchi wanted me to do! Afterwards, I get the HONOR of marching off down the mountain and figuring out the Japanese mass-transit system on my own. Yamanouchi got what it wanted and turned me out, didn't it?"

"I met you because..." Yori started, but Ron wouldn't listen.

"For over a year, Yamanouchi doesn't even so much as speak to me! That pretty girl who was so friendly doesn't even give me an email or a snail-mail address. Then, I find a way to get stronger and what happens? Yamanouchi is suddenly interested in me again!" Ron glared at his companion as he arranged the events in his mind. "Suddenly, that same pretty girl shows up to check on me! Why not? Last time, she just smiled at me, gave me a peck on the cheek and I was ready to fight through monkeys and walk through lava to help her. The buffoon is pretty easy to control, isn't he?"

"It was never about..." Yori tried, but couldn't interrupt Ron's verbal train of thought.

"But the pretty ninja runs into a little problem, doesn't she?" Ron continued. "In the form of a very pretty girl who the buffoon has known for a couple of years, but has recently decided to ignore the food chain. The buffoon is dating this very pretty, very nice girl! The pretty ninja might not be able to just flutter her eyelashes and get the buffoon to do what she wants, eh?"

"You're wrong! I do not seek..."

"But that pretty ninja has a plan!" Ron snarled, an angry grin on his face. "She talks to my best friend and my girlfriend to make sure they'll believe that me getting stronger is a bad thing. Is it because Master Sensei is so concerned about me, or because Master Sensei wants to make sure that I won't get more powerful unless he's in control of me?"

"That's what I think!" Ron finished. "I think that this whole thing is to control me, to make sure that Yamanouchi controls the Mystical Monkey Power by controlling me. You could have helped me develop my Mystical Monkey Power at any time, so why didn't you! Was it because you knew that once I got to a certain point, I'd be able to see that I was nothing more than a tool to be used? Isn't it interesting that once you learned that I was getting there on my own, you spoke to Kim and Tara? You want to use them to make sure I don't get too powerful for you to keep on a leash!"

"Possible-san, listen to yourself!" Yori plead, now looking horrified. "Can you really believe in such a conspiracy?"

"Why shouldn't I believe it?" Ron backed away from her. "I didn't hear a thing from Yamanouchi until I started to get stronger! Am I supposed to believe that was coincidence?"

"Master Sensei wanted you to live your life, to not be dominated by Yamanouchi or the Mystical Monkey Power!" Yori protested.

"But decided it was time for domination once I started to get better," Ron added.

"Possible-san, if your increasing power is such a good thing, why do you seek to keep it secret?" Yori demanded. "Why didn't you tell Possible-san?"

"With the way you're acting about it, I'd be an idiot to _not_ keep it secret!" He snarled back.

"Ron!" Yori dispensed with honorifics in her desperation to reach him. "We are all concerned for you! We want what's best for you!"

"If that was true, you wouldn't have spied on me!" He yelled back. "You would have just told me!"

"But..." she tried to talk to him.

"Just stay away from me!" He demanded.

It was amazing how much distance teenagers could put between themselves, even on a crowded cargo plane. The rest of the flight was endured in silence, with neither teen willing to make eye contact with the other.

* * *

Ron only had part of the day Sunday to recover from the long mission, so he concentrated on homework. He refused to answer the phone, communicating only with his parents and with Chippy. The monkey, as well as Rufus, seemed concerned for him. As evening fell, the blonde boy slipped out into the back yard for his kata time. It took him a great deal longer than usual to attain the sense of inner peace that he needed but finally, he performed the first. Again, he felt the surge, though not as great as when it was done with a live audience. He grimaced; if Yori was telling the truth and she had KP on her side, he would probably never do the kata to a live audience again. Pushing the disappointment aside, he set himself for the second. A glowing form appeared in the middle of the back yard.

Ron's eyes flew wide and he backpedaled towards the house. Had the ghosts from Ethiopia come to attack him again? The form didn't pursue, but coalesced into a man's shape. Soon, Ron found himself looking at the insubstantial form of...

"Master Sensei?"

"Stoppable-san," the old man's image nodded to him. "I sense that you are troubled."

"That's an understatement," Ron looked at the image, trying to keep his temper under control.

"Your strength grows at an alarming rate," the old man informed him. "The Lotus Blade sings songs of a great power built upon a foundation of shifting sand."

"Okay, not understanding the analogies," Ron stared at the image, a scowl on his face. "Master Sensei, if you have something to say to me, come out and say it. I'm tired of these games."

"Who has been playing you, Stoppable-san?" The spectral visitor asked.

"Yori!" Ron spat. "And that means all of Yamanouchi, as far as I'm concerned."

"You wrong us," the old voice was gentle, not challenging.

"How?" Ron demanded. "You spied on me! You talked to my friends about me without me knowing!"

"That's one way to look at it," Sensei admitted. "Or you could say that I wished to determine if I needed to intervene before involving myself in your life. You could say that Yori spoke to your friends...behind your back...as you say, or you could say that she wished those closest to you to be prepared to assist you."

"More games and double-talk," Ron shook his head.

"I have a wager for you, young Stoppable, if you have the courage to take it," Sensei told him.

"Might as well tell me," Ron rolled his eyes.

"I ask you to not perform your ceremonial katas, or the meditation for this week, and only this week," Sensei replied. "You are young, so what is the loss of one week? At the end of the week, when your best friend and your girlfriend return from their competition, see if you are more pleasant for them to associate with."

"That's it?" Ron asked.

"That is it," Sensei answered. "It will not be easy. Your spiritual enhancements have become like a drug, so you may experience difficulty sleeping or even relaxing for several days. This in itself should tell you the harm that you are doing to yourself. Step away for a week! See if you have difficulty, then see if you are happier. That is all I ask!"

"How about sparring?" Ron asked him.

"Continue to duel against the trained monkey and against Yori. This is solid, honest improvement." Sensei instructed.

"And at the end of the week, let's say next Sunday?" Ron prompted.

"If you are happier, speak to Yori. If you feel that you have been wronged, simply resume your isolated improvement and see where that takes you." Sensei's image held him with an ancient, yet piercing gaze for an uncomfortable length of time.

"Farewell, Stoppable-san," he finally said, offering a bow. Ron wasn't so upset that he couldn't bow in return. "I wish you well."

Ron spent close to an hour sparring with Chippy before going inside. Once inside, it was a long time before he could fall asleep.

* * *

Lord Montgomery Fiske needed a great deal of assistance from his monkeys to leave Myanmar. While the Nobleman found being dependent upon others to be onerous under the best of circumstances, right now he was less inclined to take bad news with any grace. His ribs were battered and painful, his right kidney was an internal mass of agony and the cursed ninja girl had knocked out one of his teeth. Yet his physical injuries were nothing compared to the emotional and intellectual mess he was in at the moment.

Ron Stoppable, the buffoonish pretender had ordered his monkeys to stand clear of the fight...and the monkeys had obeyed him. Fiske had known that the pretender would have a certain, minuscule influence over simians; it came with the exposure to the Mystical Monkey Power. However, there was no way that he should be able to influence the alphas of a wild band of monkeys, much less a trained monkey.

Much less an entire group of elite, highly trained monkey ninjas with their master, himself a Mystical Monkey Power wielder, present.

Propped up with several pillows in his comfortable bed and well over southwest Asia; now that he wasn't traveling in secret, he had summoned his private aircraft and the associated luxuries, he came to some unpleasant conclusions. The first was that the buffoonish sidekick was very close to being a match for him in a purely physical confrontation. Certainly, he had been rendered off-balance by his monkey ninjas being neutralized. Clever planning had allowed the ninja girl, Fiske couldn't recall her name, to deliver an unexpected strike to his kidney, which had pretty much decided the confrontation. Yet, the real surprise had been the pretender holding his own during the initial fight, almost fighting the Nobleman to a standstill. Somehow, Stoppable had become a great deal more capable in a very short time. This did not bode well for the future.

Secondly, the pretender had simply ordered his monkey ninjas to stand down, and they had obeyed. The only explanation was that Stoppable had somehow increased his Mystical Monkey Power a very great deal in a very short time. Fiske was nowhere near foolish enough to believe that the two alterations to his young irritant were unrelated.

As a result, Fiske was now traveling back to his castle. He estimated that he would have until roughly mid-May before the spirit would be dangerously close again. It would be plenty of time to recover from his injuries and regain his strength. He would also be able to perform more research and attempt to find a weapon to bring to bear against the pursuing entity. Finally, it would be good to lock its position again. However, there was an even more disquieting concept to consider.

Perhaps Stoppable was correct.

Was the lack of ambition the secret to greater Mystical Monkey Power?

Perhaps it would be wise to take advantage of his down time to examine why he wanted power, what he intended it to provide for him. If a teenage boy with no real ambition could so suddenly match him in ability, it might not be simply Stoppable doing something right.

Maybe Fiske was doing something wrong.

Montgomery Fiske took great pride in his willingness to face unpleasant truths. Was the latest, and most unpleasant truth that he had been following a dead end course ever since locating the first of the jade statues?

* * *

Ron Stoppable was facing an unpleasant truth; Master Sensei may be right. It was Monday morning and he found himself stumbling into homeroom with eyes that felt like sand and an empty stomach that was somehow too full. He hadn't slept more than an hour at most and he hadn't felt hungry enough to eat anything before school. He wasn't the smartest person, he knew that, but he did know the classic symptoms of addiction. Being a buffoon meant that he was able to face unpleasant truths about himself; and he realized that he was in denial about his dependency. This wasn't going to be easy, especially with his best friend and girlfriend somewhere else.

He hadn't contended with Monique and Felix. Between the two, they had almost all classes with him, so one was always close by. He hadn't realized just how much difference friends could make...even morally questionable friends like one who preferred a flamethrower to kill digital undead and another who insisted on having a napkin nearby when eating a burrito. When his mind started to wander, one of them was there to put his mind firmly back in the subject at hand. Ron strongly suspected that Wade was pulling some strings behind the scenes.

Finally, the last class of the day was in the past and it was time for cheer practice; or, Yori gets to beat the heck out of him practice. He wasn't at his best, not by a long shot. His arms and legs seemed to have weights attached, his mind seemed to have a delay built in and he couldn't seem to catch his breath. By the time practice time was over, his chest was heaving like a bellows but he felt strangely better than when he started. After a shower and walking home, he actually had a bit of an appetite. Later in the evening, Chippy put him through some stretching and basic form training. Ron slept fitfully that night, but at least he slept.

On Tuesday, he managed a little breakfast after some initial training with Chippy. Monique and Felix didn't have to keep him focused quite as much as they did on Monday. For his free period, he called Wade on his Kimmunicator and the young genius was able to give him enough hints to catch up on his schoolwork. After classes, Yori put him through another torture session, but she was sweating a little by the end of it. Wednesday and Thursday showed more improvement and Ron was forced to admit that he had overdone it with the Mystical Monkey Power improvement. He was starting to feel stronger and on Thursday night he devoured three helpings at dinner, making up for the meals he hadn't eaten properly earlier that week.

Friday morning, he woke up after sleeping like a log. His morning workout with Chippy got his pulse pounding so that the morning air seemed crisp and cool, the February sun bright and cheery as he walked to school. He missed talking with Kim on the way and he missed carrying Tara's books once there. Still, he talked some trash with both Monique and Felix, which helped a little. He was more or less on top of his academics, but his mind was in the zone today, making up for the rest of the week. A noon call on the Kimmunicator informed him that the squad had placed third in the national competition.

Wade forwarded him a victory photo and Ron quickly found Steve, Felix and Jess's boyfriend, the same boy who had been her date on new years eve. He explained an idea he had and the other three boys deemed it a good one. Jess's boyfriend, a wizard in the shop, had a word with the shop teacher, who smiled at the plan. There wasn't much time, as the squad would get back Sunday and the boys wanted to have the surprise ready on Monday.

Again, Ron made use of Wade's assistance to get caught up with his academics during his free period that afternoon. Wade was very effective, but Ron found himself missing the pretty face and blue eyes on the other side of the table. The last class was science, and fortunately, Barkin was happy with the effort Monique and he had put into the report. Ron found himself very grateful for the effort Chippy was putting in rehabilitating Frederick; although the boy was having suspicions as to why she was spending so much extra time at the space center.

That night after classes, he trained against Yori again. Tonight, his hands and feet felt light and fast, his mind was working clearly and quickly. He pushed her to her absolute limit in a blazing display of strikes, kicks, blocks and fast maneuvering. By the end of practice time, both teens were sweaty, breathing heavily, bruised and happy. Ron had to admit that she looked very cute with her Gi sweaty and a little clingy. To bad she wasn't blonde haired and blue eyed, he really missed walking Tara home under the blanket on cold evenings.

Still, he had a solid evening. He and Felix went to the mall, intent on speaking with Monique for some advice on appropriate congratulations gifts for their girlfriends. Before they could reach Club Banana, they met Steve, who promptly joined them, preferring to consult with an expert. To the boys' shock, Monique did not suggest clothing; rather suggesting flowers and small pieces of jewelry. The girl went almost insane when they boys wouldn't talk about the surprise they were working on at school.

Ron contented himself with getting a flower and a congratulatory bracelet for his girlfriend. He made a trip out to the space center and talked with Frederick a little, as well as picking up the latest results of his physical evaluation. While there, he found that the space monkey would be able to return to the space station very soon. Ron's earlier suspicions were confirmed when the monkey was very sad about that. Usually, Frederick preferred time in space to time on earth.

Since Yori had given him a solid sparring session, Chippy concentrated on form and precision. With his parents gone again, Ron was able to indulge in cooking for his friend. Again, Chippy seemed rather puzzled, but appreciated the meal and the company. Ron slept well again Friday night and woke up ready to face the day on Saturday. After a workout with Chippy, he attended services before heading to the school shop to help Liz's boyfriend, Paul, with the project he had taken on for the cheerleaders. While Ron wasn't a skilled woodworker, he could sand and apply finish fairly well. Steve and Felix showed up, as well. After a few hours of work, the wooden parts of the project were in the finish room to dry. The four boys were satisfied with their work, certain the squad would appreciate the gifts.

The remainder of Saturday started with something he hadn't done for a long time; moping. As busy as his life had become lately, he didn't have the time to mope around, but he found himself sitting around his house, missing his best friend and his girlfriend, and wondering what to do. For the first half-hour, he actually enjoyed the nostalgic feeling, but that didn't last very long. Fortunately, Felix called and challenged him for some zombie-bashing. Ron was surprised at how much his video game skills had deteriorated, but wasn't sorry. As much as he wouldn't have admitted it even a few months ago, having a girlfriend was better than having video game skill.

Sunday afternoon saw Ron ready to greet the squad, only to have Master Sensei's image appear in front of him again.

"You should have a few minutes to talk, Stoppable-san," the old man's sending noted "What has this week taught you?"

"You were right," Ron admitted. "I owe both you and Yori my thanks and an apology. I feel better now. I didn't realize how much the demand for power had come to dominate me."

"Apologies are not necessary, Stoppable-san," the old man assured him. "At least not to me. Indeed, I should have maintained contact and guided your growth."

"Well, no harm done," Ron shrugged. "Where should I go from here?"

"Continue this life," Sensei told him. "Continue to train with both Yori and Chippy. Soon, I will recall Yori and you will have more time to train with Possible-san. I will provide you with contact information, so that you can report your progress and I can offer you suggestions."

Heartened by the old master's kind words, Ron left for the school. He joined the small crowd of family, friends and well-wishers awaiting the squad. Like last time, when the squad arrived and exited the bus, Ron led the crowd in a welcoming cheer. Again, Kim held up the trophy and offered words of thanks to the squad and those who had supported them. With that, the squad scattered to enjoy the remainder of Sunday.

As last time, Tara's parents nudged Ron forward to provide the initial welcome. Tara jumped into his embrace and threw her arms around his neck while he wrapped his arms around her waist and held her for several minutes, juggling girlfriend and the gifts he had brought for her. He only dared give her a peck on the cheek, this being a school function and all. When he put her down, he handed her the rose and opened the box holding the bracelet. Smiling wide, she held out her arm to receive the trinket. Ron slipped it on her wrist and she jumped into his arms again. He was reluctant to hand her over to her folks.

Again, she told him that she wanted to spend some time with her parents, but asked him to come over later. He watched the Kings walk off, his sense of anticipation interrupted by his best friend's voice from behind him.

"So, Wade tells me that you and Yori had a successful mission against Monkeyfist while I was gone."

"Yeah," Ron shrugged. "He was researching some texts and such in Myanmar. We had some advantages over him and managed to catch him by surprise. Now, Wade thinks he has an idea about the spirit." Ron paused for a moment. "And I got my priorities straightened out a little, but we can talk about that later. I think you have some boyfriend time to put in."

"Tomorrow," Kim agreed. "Talk to you then."

Back home, Ron had to set his alarm to make sure he didn't leave too early. Chippy ran him through basic forms and moves in order to distract him a little, but the boy still insisted on showering before leaving for the Kings. Again, Tara met him and after some polite talk with her parents, ushered him downstairs for some couple time. Much as last time, the fire was lit to take away the February chill from the basement. Once on the couch, Ron asked his girlfriend to describe the competition.

Tara gushed about the workouts and the people they met, making Ron just a little jealous. She went on to tell how intimidating she found some of the other squads, but how the Middleton girls had banded together to achieve their high ranking.

"I wish you could have been there," she told him, making his jealousy shrink into nothing. "The two of us could have rocked the competition with our little number."

"There will be competitions next year," he suggested. "And by that time, you might have an even better number for us to work on."

"I've got a couple of ideas," she admitted. "And plenty of time to work on them. Now, do you want to talk about your mission while we were gone?"

"Pretty standard," he shrugged. "But it gave me an idea for Valentine's Day present."

"That's this Friday," Tara smiled at him. "What did you get me?"

"Sorry, no hints. You'll find out then," Ron smirked at her.

"Oh, what makes you think I'll be your valentine?" She mock teased him, leaning close.

"Just a little hunch," he whispered back, closing the distance and bringing his lips to meet hers.

This time, there was no yearning for the surge his katas brought him or wishing he could train instead of being here. His senses were overwhelmed by the feel of her lips on his, her body pressed against his and her arms around his neck. Their tongues danced and dueled, exploring each others' mouths as his hands explored the curve of her waist, hips and lower back. Emboldened, he slipped his hands under her sweater and directly caressed her back while he kissed and nibbled the incredible smoothness of her neck.

She pressed herself closer to him and raised her chin, giving him full access to her throat. Soon, they were horizontal again, side by side with one of her legs hooked over his. His heart surged in his chest when she put her lips to his ear and whispered to him between her sighs.

"It's good to be back."

"Is it ever," he agreed, then returned to his efforts.

Completely unnoticed, a dark clad form looked at a piece of metal in its palm. The metal glowed with a warm, blue light. Nodding, the figure flowed away from the Kings' basement window like an oiled shadow. Once it gained enough distance, it pulled a cell phone from the folds of its clothing. Smiling lips drew close to the microphone and reported.

"I believe I will be returning home next week."

* * *

 _A/N: Well, it seems things are looking up for everyone. Nothing could go wrong now, could it?_

 _As always, my thanks to Joe Stoppinghem for beta reading._


	14. Chapter 14

Kim Possible looked out of her window as her best friend came into view down the block. She quickly picked up her coat, hat and gloves and was waiting for him when he reached her house. Meeting up with him, she noted that he had a huge smile on his face. Whatever intervention he had experienced last week must have done him some good.

"So," he prompted her. "Tell me about the competition."

"Didn't Tara tell you?" She asked him, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Well, uh..."

"Did she get distracted during the talk?" Kim's expression was absolutely predatory.

"Uh..."

"Good!" Kim smiled warmly at her best friend. "She was missing you while we were at the competition. If you had been there, the two of you would have crushed the competition with your dance number. Still, when we got to the event center..."

Kim went into an explanation of the judges, the competing squads, the facilities and even a few misadventures. Sometimes, you had to roll with the punches and she wound up changing a flat tire on the minibus one day before leaving the hotel for the event center.

"That doesn't cover everything," Kim told her friend, as they reached school. "Not by a long shot, but I got the essentials. You're going to have to tell me the details of your mission and your intervention when we get a chance. You're looking happier than I've seen you since you started dating Tara."

"I needed to get my head turned around," he admitted. "It wasn't easy and I owe some major apologies..."

He was interrupted by his girlfriend's arrival. Usually, Tara would show up, greet the two and hand her books to Ron. Today, she swept up with a huge smile on her face and claimed one of Ron's arms. This was about as much contact that Barkin would allow and told Kim that her best friend's improved attitude must have had an impact on his girlfriend.

"Hey Kim, Ron," the blonde girl almost gushed. "Ready to get back to the routine?"

"So ready," Kim agreed, a predatory smile on her face. "I see you're doing fine. Did you get a good welcome home last night?"

The blonde girl just blushed a little and held her boyfriend's arm a little tighter. Soon, the two blondes were on their way to homeroom with Kim trailing just a little.

"Hey, Kim," the very welcome voice sounded low and to her side. Smiling wide, the redhead reached down and gave Felix's hand a gentle squeeze. She hadn't been dating the new boy for as long as Tara had been dating Ron...and she obviously didn't have the familiarity preceding dating like Tara and Ron. As a result, her 'welcome home' probably hadn't been as intense as the one Tara had from Ron, but it had still put her in a very good mood.

"Hey, Felix," she murmured. She didn't say anything more, and didn't need to. Instead, she just walked next to him, her hand on his shoulder until their paths to different classrooms forced them apart. She was growing increasingly fond of her boyfriend, she felt very comfortable with him.

"Alright people, LISTEN UP!" Mr. Barkin announced to the homeroom. "I have a few announcements to make before freeing you for your continued, academic journey. First, congratulations are in order for the cheerleaders; as the squad took third place in the national competition."

A short bout of cheers sounded through the room.

"Secondly, this will be the last week that we will enjoy the company of Miss Yori Tanaka. I urge everyone to take advantage to have a conversation with her while the opportunity still exists. She is a very intelligent individual that has some unique perspectives."

Kim looked to the Japanese girl and shared what she hoped was a conspiratorial smile. The ninja's mission had been completed and it was time for her to go home.

Moments later, the students were on their way to their various classes.

The morning classes were a bit of a challenge for the redhead and her teammates, as they had to make up for the previous week. Still, she was mostly on top of things so the adjustment wasn't difficult. She was looking forward to some study time with Felix, as her father never got upset when he saw them at the dining room table with the books out.

Eventually, it was lunch time. Kim could remember when she used to sit with only Ron, then with Ron and Monique. Now she was one of six sitting at a table; two couples along with Monique and Yori.

"So the two of you took on a mission while the squad was at competition," Felix noted, eyeing Ron and Yori. "Anything you can talk about?"

"Pretty standard," Ron shrugged. "We had some good intel and came up with a good plan. The old 'one tangles with the bad guy while the other moves in unnoticed' sort of plan."

"Oh," Kim nodded, looking at the Japanese girl. "What plan did you come up with?"

For a moment, Ron's happy smile turned into a scowl, directed at the redhead.

"It was Stoppable-san's plan," Yori told Kim. "As he had been on many more such missions, I deferred to his experience."

"Okay," Kim nodded an apology to her friend, then turned back to Yori. "How long did you have to tangle with Fiske before Ron moved into place? He's one of the tougher bad guys out there."

Ron's scowl returned, a little deeper and lasting a little longer.

"Stoppable-san engaged Fiske," Yori's told her. "The two battered each other to a standstill, giving me a great deal of time to make a careful and stealthy approach. This allowed me to perform a very precise strike that left him at a strong disadvantage. We were then able to incapacitate him."

"We had already spoke to the Myanmar authorities," Ron added, his smile wasn't as wide as it had been before. "We gave them an artifact that the monkey man had taken from Ethiopia."

"Was he trying to sell it?" Tara looked a little confused. "Why would he go to Yangon to sell an artifact he had stolen from Ethiopia?"

"He wasn't trying to sell it," Ron told her. "He was wearing it. I think he spent his time in Ethiopia hoping to find some sort of charm against the spirit that's after him. Maybe KP's amulet made an impression."

Tara now looked at the redhead.

"Our pieces of jewelry were made by a Chinese order who had members that learned and taught at Solomon's Temple," Kim told the blonde girl. "I didn't believe in ghosts until we were attacked by them in Ethiopia. Because I was wearing it, I was able to fight them off."

"How about you?" Tara asked Ron.

"I got chilled," he told her, shuddering at the memory. "I didn't really feel all that much better until a pretty blonde fed me chili and cornbread before cuddling me to sleep."

"But, you need this!" Tara told him, pulling the amulet, that she wore almost constantly, out from under her sweater's collar.

"I gave it to you," Ron assured her, reaching out and catching her hand. "It's right where it belongs."

"Watch the hands, Stoppable." Barkin's voice sounded through the lunchroom. "You're pushing the boundaries."

Ron quickly pulled his hand back.

"So, what happened next with the mission?" Monique asked, taking them back to the original topic.

"Pretty normal," Ron shrugged. "I gave him the usual, 'don't do this anymore and it's all your fault you're in trouble' sort of speech. The Myanmar officials showed up, grabbed all the notes and photos he had gathered and told him to leave. According to Wade, his private jet flew to Yangon, Fiske boarded it and flew home."

"Do you think he'll stop?" Felix asked him.

"No," Ron shook his head. "He'll take a break and heal up, maybe wait until the spirit shows up at his castle again, but I don't see him changing." Ron suddenly looked thoughtful and a little sad, "sometimes, somethings just don't change."

Kim wasn't comfortable with how much her best friend's mood had declined but there wasn't time to address this. They had to finish their meals and get back to class. As they left the lunchroom, Ron greeted and offered congratulations to Bonnie and Hope. Both girls gave abrupt nods, not smiling at the boy. Kim was left wondering what their problem was but, once again, didn't have the chance to address the issue.

Afternoon classes ended with science class, with the normal teacher back. At first, all seemed well until Monique and Ron gave an update on their project.

"And so the use of proper physical therapy and martial arts has increased Frederick's recovery to the point that he will be able to return to the space station in two more weeks," Ron concluded. "This is almost a month earlier than was predicted."

"Due to this, the space center is sharing the data with space agencies worldwide," Monique added. "It would appear that multiple, governmental agencies will shortly be implementing martial arts training for their simian subjects."

"Where will this project go from here?" The teacher asked.

"We have a unique opportunity," Ron answered. "We have come up with a curriculum of martial arts for Frederick to practice while in space. We'll monitor his physical degeneration and his recovery, when he returns in April."

"That exceeds the limits of your original project," the teacher told the partners.

"The circumstances have changed!" Monique protested. "We won't have the full time on Earth that we thought we would have, but we have the chance to perform more research."

"This may be, but it still goes beyond what you proposed. In addition, Mr. Stoppable is referring to the research subject with a first name. This is not a trait of those utilizing scientific objectivity. Give me until next week and I'll determine if you can alter your project or if you will have to select another subject."

"This tanks!" Monique complained. "We couldn't help it if the results of our hypothesis worked out so well!"

"Monique, I don't like being argued with!" The teacher's voice reflected her irritation. "Now, take your seat and hold your tongue or you'll be serving detention tonight!"

Monique looked ready to argue some more, but regained her composure and took her seat. Kim and Felix then gave their presentation, which the teacher accepted with much more enthusiasm. As the final bell rang, the teacher gave a hard look at Monique and Ron.

"Okay, what do we do if we have to pick out a new research project?" Monique demanded of the blonde. "We've already lost five weeks of the eight."

"I don't know," his voice was quiet.

"Well, you better come up with a plan!" Monique growled at him. "I take my GPA seriously!"

"And I don't?" Ron's temper was starting to rise.

"Hey, arguing isn't going to do any good," Felix rolled his chair between the two. "Why don't the two of you discuss this tomorrow, after taking a little time to think things over?"

"We'll see," Monique snapped, before spinning on her heel and stalking off. Ron heaved a major sigh.

* * *

"Okay, everyone," Kim addressed the squad, when they gathered for practice after school. "We don't have any more events to cheer for this school year. Competitions are over until next year, as well. Now, in the next couple of weeks, there are going to be several opportunities to show off a little. We have state and county publications that want to interview us, both individually and as a group. There will also be several photo-shoots. In fact, a cereal company is thinking of running a limited edition box for the immediate area, we could wind up on a Barley-ies box!"

The squad expressed their enthusiasm for this ultimate, athletic honor.

"Okay, we're going to run through the routines that won the competition," Kim continued. "We're going to take things very easy. We have no competitions coming up, so there's not need to risk any sort of injury. In the meantime, Ron is still tasked with working out with Yori for the rest of the week."

With that, Kim started the squad on their workout while Yori and Ron started some basic stretching and calisthenics. As the two hour workout continued, Yori and Ron switched to sparring, which once again made it harder for the cheerleaders to concentrate on their routine. With only about fifteen minutes to go before release time, Kim called a halt to the workout and interrupted the incredible display of violence and grace taking place on the other half of the gym.

"I want Tara and Ron to do their dance number again," Kim announced. "After that, we're going to receive a tokens of appreciation. Tara, Ron, let's see it."

Kim started the music. It had been awhile since the two blondes had done the dance routine, so it was a little clumsy at times. Much to Ron's surprise, Kim didn't force them to go over it again.

"They were bound to be a little rusty," Kim declared. "They'll get it worked out by the time it needs to be."

"Why have them do it at all?" Bonnie asked. "That routine didn't have anything to do with our last two competitions."

"But it was a part of our season," Crystal pointed out, before Kim could. "Let whomever is filming us see the routine and decide whether or not to include it. I still think it's a great number."

The rest of the squad agreed, but Ron noted that both Hope and Marcella, as well as Bonnie, seemed a little less than completely enthusiastic. By then, Paul had arrived. The teen was pushing a cart in front of him and Ron had to smile, thinking about how the cheerleaders were sure to respond. Paul was shy almost to the point that he was afraid to to speak, but moved forward with his mission. He reached into the box on the cart and pulled out an oddly shaped, but beautifully stained board.

"M-Marcella," he called.

The indicated cheerleader stepped forward and took the board, noting that it had a life-sized picture of her face on one side. She thanked the shy boy and stepped back, as he pulled out another such board and stuttered out Bonnie's name. The brunette stepped forward and received her portrait, also with a puzzled look on her face. Ron held his tongue as the rest of the squad received their tokens from the quiet boy. Soon, the girls noted that there were portions of a picture on the sides opposite their own portraits.

Ron shouldn't have been surprised that it was Crystal, the most practical girl on the squad, who noted that one side of her board was straight and the other side, the oddly shaped side, fit perfectly with the oddly shaped side of Liz's board. The rest of the cheerleaders weren't foolish and quickly realized that they held the pieces of a very large puzzle. An eight piece jigsaw puzzle doesn't take very long to assemble, so soon the eight boards, each highlighting one of the cheerleaders, were assembled on the gym floor.

"Wait a minute!" Bonnie called out. "What's on the other side?"

Minutes later, the cheerleaders had the boards flipped over and re-assembled, now displaying the photo taken when they had just received third place in the national competition. All of the girls showed their delight.

"Very clever," Kim announced. "And brilliant workmanship. I think the squad owes Paul a big thanks."

While the rest of the squad voiced their approval, Liz looked around the gym and seeing no faculty, gave her boyfriend a peck on the cheek. Poor Paul was so embarrassed that he couldn't even speak.

"Okay everyone, that's enough for tonight," Kim declared. "We'll be back here tomorrow. This is a good time to experiment, so if you have some ideas for the routines, this is the time to work on them."

As all parties made their way to their respective locker rooms and showers, Ron's smile faded just a touch. As was her habit, Kim moved faster than the other girls and walked back into the gym at the same time as her best friend. Ron's smile was a little wistful as she sat next to him while he waited for his girlfriend.

"Rough day?" She asked him.

"Yeah, but I'll get over it," he told her.

"That was really sweet and clever of Paul to make the puzzle," Kim added. For some reason, Ron's smile faded a little again.

"Yeah," he answered. "The squad must really be pleased with them."

"Yeah," Kim agreed, wondering if she should ask him some more about this sitch.

Before she could say anything, Tara emerged from the locker room and Ron hopped to his feet. There was nothing false or strained about Ron's eagerness to open up the blanket for the two blondes to huddle under for the walk to Tara's house. There was nothing fake or strained about how they huddled very close together. Kim felt much happier about her best friend's situation, but she still wanted to hear about how he managed to get his attitude adjusted.

* * *

Kim didn't have the best of evenings, as she was still dealing with a small backlog of schoolwork. Still, she had a solid handle on everything so it wasn't as bad as it could be. The next morning, she met up with Ron again. The boy seemed almost as happy as he was yesterday, making Kim think that he must have managed a little more couple time with his girlfriend the previous night.

"So what all happened with you last night?" She asked her friend.

"Tara was making up for missed classes," Ron explained. "The two of us worked at it at the King's and they invited me to stay for dinner. After that, we kept studying until around nine. Her parents are very happy with me."

"They should be," Kim told him, patting his shoulder. "The two of you are good for each other." She paused for a moment. "She said that you were caught a little by surprise by Valentine's Day."

"Never had a girlfriend during it before," he pointed out. "Still, I have most of it covered. I got some expert advice from Monique."

At the mention of his lab partner's name, his face darkened again.

"Okay, let's start talking about the intervention," Kim told him. "Yori talked to me a little bit and while I didn't completely believe her, I have to admit that you seem more pleasant than when I left."

"You've never met Master Sensei," Ron told her. "He's the head of Yamanouchi. He sort of appeared to me last weekend and told me to...well...make some changes."

"I know that you had Wade translate some more ceremonial rites for you," Kim told him.

"Yeah, I think I was getting in over my head with them," Ron admitted.

"But you were doing them for the right reasons," Kim assured him. "Yori wanted to talk to your 'rents. It looks like you got your course straightened out without the need."

"Yeah," Ron muttered, his smile fading a bit again. "That's a good thing, isn't it?"

Kim didn't have a chance to ask any more, as they were at school and Kim didn't want any private details to be overheard. Tara appeared quickly and again claimed Ron's arm. Kim's heart just melted when she saw her best friend's face brighten when his girlfriend showed up. Then, Felix showed up and she felt her own smile claim her face.

The morning classes went well again. At lunchtime, it was again the table of six people. During the conversation, a call came in from Wade.

"Drakken appears to have stolen the Transportulator from Dementor," he reported. "I was working with Dementor to use it to solve Fiske's spirit issue. I know you're trying to get caught up, academically and you have a photo-shoot this afternoon, but can you make a run to recover it?"

"Why not allow Stoppable-san and myself to execute this mission?" Yori suggested, before Kim could answer. "He and I are up to date on such studies as we require. If I understand the...sitch...as you say, the photographers may not wish to include him with the squad, so the disruption shall be minimum."

"This is Drakken and Shego," Kim pointed out. "They're the big leagues."

"And Fiske isn't?" Ron asked. "He's just as tough and we handled him. We can go against Drakken."

"Okay," Kim sounded reluctant. "But call for help if you need it."

"Your ride will be outside in fifteen," Wade reported. "I'm getting your assignments forwarded to the Kimmunicator at this time. The lair is roughly two hundred miles away."

"Come back safe," Tara told her boyfriend, squeezing his hand.

"I always do," he assured her. Then he and Yori were off.

Kim couldn't help but be pensive; sure, Ron had 'been there and done that' and Yori was extremely capable, but Kim couldn't shake the feeling that she was letting someone else take on a dangerous, tough job while she took it easy.

* * *

"Yori, you're a great deal more elusive than I am," Ron suggested, as the two teens sat in the back of the crop-duster, shouting to be heard over the rushing wind. "I'm about to make a suggestion that will put you at a great deal of risk."

"Tell me," the ninja requested. "You have greater experience than I."

"Okay, Shego is the dangerous one," Ron told her. "Usually, Kim and Shego would fight while Rufus and I disabled Drakken's latest machine. I'm going to ask you to go after Shego, one on one, at least to start things off. She'll probably ignore me. I've gotten a lot better since the last time I fought Drakken, so I think I can handle him fairly quickly. Once I've dealt with him, I'll come back and we can double team Shego. In the meantime, Rufus can look for the Transportulator"

"If I remember your earlier tales, Drakken also employs henchmen," Yori pointed out. "How shall we deal with them, if they attempt to interfere?"

"We may just have to play it by ear," Ron admitted.

"Perhaps I can make a suggestion," Yori had a mischievous grin. She went on to suggest a devious plan. While the plan sounded more than a little odd, Ron had to admit that with Drakken and Shego, it would probably work.

The aircraft was very good at flying slow, and Mrs. Herb, the pilot, was skilled. She flew over the city and high-rise building in which Drakken had established his latest lair. She nosed the aircraft steeply up, allowing the two teens to jump to the top of the building without the need of parachutes. Ron waved his thanks to the intrepid pilot as the aircraft flew away.

"If one is not being too curious," Yori addressed him. "Why is an aircraft, which is utilized to apply various chemicals to crops, active during the winter?"

"Mrs. Herb drops small explosive charges onto avalanche-prone areas of the back-country during the winter," Ron answered, leading the way to a roof access stairwell. "It keeps the avalanches from getting severe. That's why you have to shout to make her hear you."

"We're in, Wade," he called, as soon as the teens were in the stairwell. "What next?"

"Drakken has leased the ninth through the fifteenth floors," the youngster told him. "You're on the twenty-second. The seventeenth floor and the twenty-second are currently unoccupied for remodeling and the security cameras are down on these floors. I suspect that Drakken is monitoring the security cameras on the other floors, so here's your route..."

Under Wade's direction, the two teens went to the twenty-second floor's south elevator, sent it to the twenty-first floor, opened the outer door and hopped onto the cab. Atop the cab, they used the service controls to take the elevator to the sixteenth floor. Since they were on top of the cab, they were able to open the outer doors on the seventeenth floor. On that floor, they made their way to a men's restroom and opened an access hatch to a plumbing chase.

"Do you and Possible-san not usually utilize ventilation ducts?" Yori whispered as the two teens clambered into the cramped opening.

"It works when we're dealing with a customized lair," Ron whispered back. "For some reason, the ducts are very large and sturdy. When we have to break into something more mainstream, we have to get more inventive. Talk to me, Wade."

"Climb down two floors," Wade instructed. There will be an access hatch behind you. This will lead into a janitor's closet. From there, you can release Rufus."

It was fortunate that the infiltrators were slender teens. The plumbing chase was dirty, dusty and did not have a great deal of spare room, but the teens managed to slither down roughly twenty feet with very little noise. From there, they opened the aforementioned hatch and gained access to the seldom-used room. A vent offered some airflow to the small room, as well as enough room for a naked mole rat to gain access to the ventilation system.

"Shall we replace the hatch cover?" Yori asked her companion.

"Not just yet," Ron told her. "Wade only _suspects_ that Drakken has established his office on this level. If Rufus can't find him, we'll have to move to another floor."

Saying that time moved at a snail's pace was inaccurate; time moved at a cautious naked mole rat's pace. Yori and Ron were forced to remain very quiet, but still on alert in case someone stumbled onto them. Time dragged but eventually, Rufus appeared at the vent opening. Ron lifted him to the floor and set the Kimmunicator next to him. The little guy went to work and soon Ron was whispering last minute plans to his human companion.

"Okay, Drakken has done some major remodeling," he told Yori. "The entire north end of the building is now open, from the ninth to the fifteenth floor. Drakken has his office on the this floor, as well as overlook, so he can look down at the rest of his lair. He likes to see his people working."

"Is the plan the same?" Yori asked.

"Exactly, you distract Shego while I deal with Drakken. Once I deal with him, I assist you. Once they're down, we take the Transportulator. Rufus has already found it in Drakken's office."

"Rufus-san has proven to be a most capable infiltrator," Yori noted, pulling on her ninja mask. "With her gloves and goggles, her hair, eyes and skin were all covered. "Perhaps Yamanouchi should consider adding such to our ranks."

"Don't know if that will work," Ron told her, hoisting Rufus back to the duct-work. "This little guy's a one of a kind. You ready?"

"Indeed, let us take down the bad guys."

Ron swore he heard a smile in Yori's voice.

The two teens carefully put the access hatch back in place before bursting from the janitor's closet and rushing down the hallway. As they approached, they could hear Drakken ranting.

"Professor Dementor was going to use the Transportulator to help Fiske with some problem he has...for a great deal of profit!" The blue man was gloating. "Well, we'll see what it's worth! Fiske is very wealthy, so now that I've stolen the Transportulator..."

"You mean now that _I've_ stolen it," Shego corrected him.

"I'm using the organizational pronouns," Drakken protested. "Since I run the operation, any accomplishments are attributed to me!"

"Whatever," Shego sighed.

"Now where was I?" Drakken muttered. "Ah, yes. Now that I've...acquired this technology, Fiske will have to come to me for assistance. He's very wealthy, so I see major profits in my future!"

"Only one problem," Ron stepped out of a hallway and onto Drakken's balcony, Yori at his side. "It doesn't belong to you!"

"Kim Possible's buffoonish sidekick!" Drakken shouted. "Why are you doing the talking?"

"KP just came back from a cheer competition," Ron told him. "There was a lot of shouting and her voice hasn't recovered. Do you want to just give up now, or is this going to get rough?"

"I was looking forward to rough," Drakken gloated. "Shego, attack them!"

"With pleasure," the green-tinted woman purred. "Hey, princess, can you actually fight without the idiotic banter?" The mercenary threw herself at the two teens.

Ron lunged forward and dodged to one side. Shego paid no attention to him, rushing the female form she assumed to be Possible, tossing plasma as she closed. Yori was every bit as agile as Kim, dodging, ducking and performing other acrobatics to avoid the oncoming energy.

"Ah, the buffoon," Drakken sneered as Ron closed with him. He placed himself in front of a large door. "Have you come for the Transportulator? It's inside and you'll have to get by me to get to it!"

Ron rushed the man and delivered a straight punch to his stomach. Shock and pain flashed across his face as he was slammed back into the door. He quickly pressed a button on his belt buckle. Red lights started to flash throughout the lair.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Shego, preoccupied with trying to hit the ninja with plasma, demanded.

"It's the alarm, Shego," Drakken announced. "It tells all of the henchmen to rally here, because their leader is in danger."

"Cowardly, but it makes sense," the green woman noted. She threw a roundhouse at Yori, only to have the ninja block it and try to sweep her legs. Shego skipped lightly over the oncoming foot and threw a punch, which Yori swatted away. Yori then performed two backwards handsprings, gaining some distance before yanking off her mask.

"Whoa, that's not Possible!" Shego yelled.

"It's perfectly possible," Drakken protested. "All she did was take off her mask!" The blue man was now backing rapidly away from Ron.

"No, you idiot!" Shego rolled her eyes as she rushed at Yori yet again. "It isn't Kim Possible! Kim Possible is somewhere else!"

"Like where?" Drakken demanded.

"Like somewhere loose in this lair!" Shego roared. By now, she and Yori were exchanging strikes, kicks and blocks again.

"Er...right!" Drakken pressed his belt buckle button again and shouted, his voice blaring throughout the lair. "Kim Possible is loose in the lair! All henchmen, find her immediately! Kim Possible, wherever you are, you think you're all that, but you're not! Uoof!"

By now, Ron had caught up to Drakken and tackled him.

"Now, now, buffoon whose name I don't recall, there's no need for violence!" Drakken swung a punch at the blonde's head.

"You still can't remember my name?" Ron demanded, swatting the punch away. "It's Ron! R." He punched Drakken in the belly. "O," he landed another punch into the blue man's stomach. "N," this time an uppercut to Drakken's chin made the mad scientist's eyes glaze over. Shaking his head, Ron rushed back to where Yori and Shego continued their struggle.

"You aren't bad," Shego admitted, dodging a kick to her jaw and responding with a back-fist. "But just like Possible, you're not in my league."

Yori took the fist to her shoulder, a shot that jolted her but she answered with a quick roundhouse to her opponent's thigh. Shego shrugged off the sting and managed a side snap kick. Yori blocked, but the force of the kick staggered her backwards and off balance. Shego lined up a plasma burst, but it flew wide as Ron tackled her from behind.

Shego was far from being out of action. She spun even while dropping to the ground and got her feet between her and her assailant. "Bad move, sidekick!" she snarled, extending her legs and sending Ron flying down the hallway. Shego sprang to her feet just in time to catch Yori's foot to her belly. The super-villain felt that one, stumbling backwards with the air blasted out of her lungs. Yori followed up, throwing a series of punches intended to keep Shego from getting herself set again. The former heroine might have been in trouble if two henchmen hadn't shown up.

One of the hired thugs grabbed Yori's shoulder, only to have the ninja catch the hand in a thumb-lock and twist, driving the man to his knees. The second man rushed her from behind, only to catch her foot somewhat lower than his stomach. He dropped to the ground while Yori drove a knee into the first man's face, dropping him onto his back. Yori was then forced to scamper away, as plasma struck the floor where she had been standing. Shego was back in action, madder than a wet hornet.

"That's it, little girl," Shego roared. "The kid gloves are off! You're in the big leagues now! When the princess shows up, the two of you are just going to be smears on the floor!"

Yori was driven to the limit of her agility, dodging burst after burst of plasma. Each burst was a little closer to the Japanese girl than the last and a cloud of pulverized floor tile soon hung in the air. Finally, one burst detonated right under the ninja's foot, sending her flying back into a wall where she slumped, momentarily stunned.

Being temporarily stationary could be deadly when facing Shego; however, the villain wanted something a little more personal than standing back and plasma blasting this new antagonist. She limped forward, her injured thigh not eager to take her weight, cracking her knuckles and wondering if she was going to finish off this newcomer or just cripple her for a more lasting revenge.

"You made a big mistake when you decided to tangle with me," she snarled, relishing the look of fear on the oriental girl's face. "Now, why don't we see if we can do something about making sure you remember your place?"

Suddenly, a pair of legs scissored her own and twisted, planting her face-first on the floor. Shego growled, knowing what she would see even before she turned on her assailant; she had seen the sidekick do the leg-scissor move enough to know what had happened to her. She put up a hand and caught the foot that had come within a split-second of catching her in the face. Growling, she twisted the appendage only to have the blonde boy spin with the action and bring his other heel down onto her already injured thigh.

Shego, roaring in pain and rage, raked her claws across the teen's calf. Ron shrieked in pain and kicked out of her grip, scuttling backwards away from Shego on his hands and feet. A grim expression on her face, Shego regained her feet and stumbled after him. Even with her injuries, there was no way he was going to outpace her while crab-walking. Unfortunately for her, she had momentarily forgotten that she had two assailants.

Yori had been so caught up in the thrill of the fight that she had forgotten who she was; she was not a knight or a samurai, one who went toe to toe with her opponent in a battle for minstrels to sing about. She was ninja, one who accomplished her mission. Even in the face of Shego's plasma, she had viewed the confrontation more as a contest than an assignment. Somehow, Shego's use of her claws, the sight of Ron's blood, reminded Yori why she was here.

Silently regaining her feet, the Japanese girl reached into her sleeve, grabbed the hidden push-dagger and slid behind the advancing villain. A quick slash cut the Achilles Tendon on Shego's unwounded leg. The pain momentarily robbed the villain of her discipline; she clutched her new wound rather than attacking or defending. With a clear shot, Yori smashed her elbow into the green-tinted woman's nose, dropping her to the ground. Yori didn't pause, leaping over her foe to help her companion to his feet.

"We must recover the transportation device," she hissed to Ron, draping one of his arms over her shoulders and helping the blonde boy move.

"Drakken's office," Ron hissed back, pointing to the door the blue man had been guarding.

The two stumbled to the indicated portal. Not bothering with any potential locks, Yori simply kicked the doorknob, shattering wood and blasting the door open. Inside, three gorillas stared at the newcomers. The teens had a moment to realize that two of the primates were larger than the third and wore medieval, Asian armor. The third, slightly smaller gorilla wore more ornate armor, including a full face mask. The window behind them was shattered, telling the teens how the primates had gotten into the office.

"We don't want trouble," Ron said, holding his hands up in a placating gesture. "If you came for Drakken, he's back behind us."

"I have no interest in that ugly blue man," the small gorilla told them, in a strangely distorted voice. "I came here for what I wanted, and I have it." It held up the Transportulator.

"We need that!" Ron snarled, stepping away from Yori.

"What you need is none of my concern, so goodbye!" Even though the speaker was somewhat smaller than the other two gorillas, it had incredible strength. It put one hand under Drakken's large, ornate desk and hurled the heavy piece of furniture at the two teens. Yori and Ron leaped back out through the door to avoid the desk, which came to rest inside the doorway. By the time the two teens force the way open again, the three gorillas were barely visible, clinging to a rope under a helicopter that was flying away. Shouts were sounding in the lair behind them.

"We have to get out of here," Ron told Yori, scanning the room. "See that vent in the wall? Punch a hole through it!"

Yori was puzzled but did as requested. As soon as she pulled her fist out of the hole it had created, Rufus jumped out of the opening and into her hands. By the time she turned around, Ron had Kim's grapple-hairdryer out of his backpack and was leaning out of the broken window, looking up and speaking into the Kimmunicator.

"We'll need pick up, ASAP, from the roof," he was saying. He clipped the communication device to his belt and gestured Yori to come close to him. As she approached, he aimed and fired the hook towards the top of the building. Rufus jumped out of Yori's hands and climbed into his pocket while Ron tugged on the cable. Satisfied that the hook was set, he reached for the girl.

"Hang on," he instructed.

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders while he gripped the gun with both hands. Taking a deep breath, he kicked out and away from the building. They had but a few moments to swing out, high above the ground below, before he activated the retract control. Yori felt the thrill of acceleration and the rush of the wind, but could only hear her companions scream of terror.

"I...hate...this!"

Then they reached the lip of the roof and were tumbling onto the top of the building. Ron put another compressed air cylinder in the device and looked up and to the north. Yori, following his gaze, spotted the crop-duster, approaching low and slow.

"Hang on again," Ron instructed, taking aim and the oncoming plane. Yori grabbed him again and watched the hook fly into the air to latch onto a landing gear. Again, they were pulled upwards.

The grapple initially let out additional cable, lessening the retrieval's shock. Then Ron activated the retract and they were pulled rapidly up to the aircraft. While Yori had never been bothered by heights; growing up on the top of a steep mountain makes one used to standing on precipices, her companion was. While she felt the thrill of adrenaline, his eyes were watering in terror. Still, he grabbed the landing gear and pointed her to the airplane's hatch. Soon, both were sitting inside.

"How did it go?" The pilot asked.

"Not that well, but it wasn't your fault," Ron told her. "Thanks for the help."

Wearily, the blonde boy pulled the Kimmunicator off of his belt and keyed a call to Wade.

"We failed," he reported, squashing Yori's adrenaline high. "And there's another party in play in all of this."

* * *

 _A/N: As always, thanks for Joe Stoppinghem for his beta reading._

 _Thanks to everyone who has been reading and reviewing._


	15. Chapter 15

A talking gorilla, leading two other gorillas...all wearing medieval, Asian armor...stealing the Transportulator from Drakken's lair. It was taking the redhead some time to picture it, but it couldn't be good news. Kim was in her second to the last class of the day when she got Wade's update. The boy didn't go into great detail but had given her the essentials; both Ron and Yori were bruised up but not seriously hurt and were on their way back. Drakken and Shego were in custody but the device had been taken by large primates. At first, Kim suspected Monkeyfist before she realized that even though he had a strong affinity for monkeys, he really didn't care for apes.

The last two classes dragged by for the redhead. Even cheer practice, with the photographers and reporters, was more of a chore than anything else. Tara wasn't exactly in a great mood, as Kim had told her the essentials. Besides, the blonde had wanted to perform the mascot routine with Ron for the sake of the media people. Yet, when it came down to the end, the two of them were cheerleaders; they put smiles on their faces and performed for the audience, even if their minds were somewhere else. Just as the last of the day's photographers and reporters were preparing to leave, Yori and Ron trudged into the gym. Kim took one look and knew how rough it had been.

Both teens were filthy, covered with the mixture of grime, dust and sweat that spoke of unpleasant infiltration and intense physical activity. Bruising was evident on their forearms, which told Kim that they had blocked numerous, hard strikes. Ron was favoring his left leg and Yori was moving gingerly, telling Kim that both had taken a battering.

"Sorry, KP," Ron told her, as the redhead rushed up to her best friend, keeping just ahead of Tara. "I just didn't move quick enough. Someone else got the device."

Tara brushed by Kim and hugged the blonde boy. Ron flinched, thinking of all the grime that was rubbing off on his girlfriend.

"It's not your fault," Kim insisted. "How bad are you hurt?"

"Shallow claw gouges on the calf," he shrugged. "Other than that, minor cuts and bruises. There's an awful lot of nasty grime on me Tara, so you might want to keep your distance."

"I can shower later," Tara's voice murmured from Ron's chest.

Suddenly, Ron smiled wide. "But Shego's going to be snoring for some time! Yori flattened her nose!"

"I take no joy in such," Yori gently protested. "It was necessity that drove me to inflict such injuries that I did."

"It doesn't matter," Kim told her. "Drakken and Shego are in jail, maybe they'll be able to tell us who sent the gorillas."

"I've got a lead on how Drakken knew Dementor was planning on using the device," Wade's voice announced from Ron's Kimmunicator. "Why don't you get cleaned up while I investigate this?"

"Good call," Kim told her friend and the ninja. "You've got your school clothes with you, so why don't you guys hit the showers?" She looked behind her, where the squad and the last of the reporters were watching with various levels of concern evident. "Show's over, people. I don't think Ron's going to be up to performing the routine."

Kim was actually the first back into the gym after her shower, as Ron was extra filthy, extra exhausted and hurting. She waited for a few minutes before her best friend emerged from the locker room, looking much better than he had before leaving the gym. He was still favoring his left leg but appeared to be more limber now. Before she had a chance to talk about the mission, Yori emerged from the locker room, looking as composed as ever.

"Perhaps it would be best if we allowed Lode-san time to come up with answers," Yori suggested. "I confess to being very tired at this moment."

"Good idea," Kim nodded. "You two need some rest."

"Research is my job," Wade's voice sounded from Kim's Kimmunicator. "I missed the other party that's in play on this adventure. I'll have an update for you tomorrow morning."

By this time, Tara had emerged from the locker room, prompting Ron to jump to his feet.

"Ron," she whispered. "I know you're hurting, so if you don't want to walk me home tonight, I'll understand."

"Don't you want me to walk you home?" Ron looked hurt worse than he looked when he first stepped in the gym.

"Of course," Tara protested. "But if you have trouble walking..."

"Some things are worth a little discomfort," Ron assured her.

"We'd better be on our way," Tara smiled shyly in response.

Kim couldn't help but grin as the two left the gym. Usually, Tara walked on Ron's right. Tonight, as they bundled under the blanket, she was on his left, ready to take a little of his weight off of his hurt leg.

"I will also take my leave," Yori told her, as more squad members appeared. "Perhaps I can be of further assistance. I'll admit to finding these missions most stimulating." The Japanese girl glided out of the gymnasium.

* * *

"So, to the best of my knowledge, that's how Dr. Drakken learned that I was going to make use of Professor Dementor's Transportulator to solve Monkeyfist's problem," Wade explained to Kim and Ron, as the two teens were walking to school, the next morning.

"Social media?" Kim asked, incredulous.

"A website can be a dangerous thing when misused," Wade confirmed. "Dementor's little sister, Hildegarde, posted on her Nosedocument page that her brother was going to make lots of money off of Lord Fiske. I guess Drakken follows her and decided to get in on the action."

"Okay, but how did...whoever stole it from Drakken, figure out that Drakken had it?" Kim asked, then after a pause. "How did you figure out that Drakken stole it?"

"NO...don't tell me," Ron groaned.

"Yep, Hildegarde again," Wade told them. "Apparently, Dementor calls his sister to rant. When Shego stole it, he complained to her and she posted it."

"What's the next step?" Kim asked the boy.

"I'm analyzing everyone who visited Hildegarde's social media accounts," Wade told them. "I'm trying to determine if a super-villain who is associated with Fiske, Dementor or Drakken visited and learned. I'm also working with Monty."

"He's actually working with you?" Ron asked.

"Apparently, some of what you said back in Myanmar seems to have stuck," Wade shrugged. "At least for the moment. He could just be making use of my services until he's healed up, but he seems to want a permanent solution to his problem. Anyway, I suspect that whomever is behind the theft-theft is going to try to get Fiske to pay up, be it in money, services or knowledge."

"Just keep us posted," Kim told Wade.

"As always," Wade assured them, before signing off.

By now, the teens arrived at school. As was her habit, Tara swooped in and claimed Ron's arm.

"Thanks, for everything," Ron squeezed his girlfriend's hand. "And please tell your folks thanks, as well."

"You already did," she assured him. "Mom and dad like you!"

"What's with all the thanks?" Kim asked.

"Tara helped me with homework last night," Ron told her. "I missed the afternoon classes, so Tara helped me catch up at her place last night."

"It was the least I could do," Tara said. "You helped me catch up after being gone for a week."

"Afterwards, her parents invited me to stay for dinner," Ron added. "Feeding a teenage boy isn't easy, especially one who had burned off as many calories as I did yesterday. Then they let Tara borrow the pickup and give me a ride home."

"Are your 'rents out of town again?" Kim asked.

"Yeah," Ron's smile faded yet again, an action that was starting to concern the redhead. "Well, let's get to class, we could be taking missions before too much longer."

Kim was a little worried about her best friend. He had seemed so happy Monday morning and while he still seemed happy, those frowns of his were getting too frequent for her taste. Still, there was nothing false about his warm expression when Tara claimed his arm.

"Hey Kim," the welcome greeting, next to her and slightly lower to the ground, brought the same, warm smile to her face.

"Hey, Felix," she couldn't claim his arm or hand without inhibiting his ability to use his wheelchair, but she could rest a hand on his upper back, massaging his lower neck slightly and discretely. He seemed to enjoy the attention and she enjoyed his reaction. It was a pleasant walk down the hall until, all too soon, they had to turn different directions.

* * *

"Very well, young man, feel free to tie your electronics into both my telephone system and my power system." Lord Montgomery Fiske, still limping and sore, addressed the visage of Mr. Lode on his Wadebot. "I have already informed my monkey ninjas. Not only will they not enter that level of my dungeons, they will prevent anyone else from doing so."

"You're being a lot more cooperative than I'm used to," Wade commented.

"I've seen what confrontation has accomplished for me," Fiske told the boy, with a rueful grimace. "Perhaps it is time to attempt cooperation again."

"I'll get to work in a few more minutes," Wade informed his distant host. "I'll wait until tomorrow morning before I drill through the floors. Even with high technology, drilling through stone is noisy."

"It is getting rather late, isn't it?" Fiske agreed. "And we have sufficient time to implement your plan."

"One last thing," Wade told him. "I still don't know who stole Dementor's Transportulator from Drakken...after he stole it from Dementor. This plan is based upon locating that item. Please let me know if anyone contacts you about this."

"I have already pledged to do so," the Englishman reminded Wade, a touch of irritation in his voice.

"I know," Wade said, in apologetic tone. "I just hate mysteries that I cannot solve."

"Perhaps you are limiting your search too much," Fiske mused, struck by a sudden thought. "It makes perfect sense that someone would steal this devices in order to extort me. However, what if someone wants to make sure that I remain on the run, so to speak?"

"Who would do that?" Wade asked.

"Young man, you will grow old and weary before I could tell you how many people I have offended in my life," again, Fiske offered a rueful grin. "Some of them even have legitimate complaints against me. However, let me limit this by saying that Yamanouchi and I have a relationship that goes well beyond adversarial. Add to this, several of my neighbors and I have family rivalries that go back for generations."

"Fellow noble families would resort to this level of activity just to spite you?" Wade was incredulous.

"Young man," Fiske told him, with a pained smile. "You have no idea how petty the powerful can be, and I am no exception."

For some reason, admitting that he could be petty felt like taking a weight off of his chest.

"Okay, how many such organizations could get their hands on trained gorillas?" Wade asked him.

"That admittedly narrows the field," Fiske admitted.

"How narrow?" Wade pressed.

"To be honest, down to none," Fiske told him. "I do not know anyone who would have access to trained, talking gorillas."

"I'll keep researching on my end," Wade assured him. "In the meantime, I'll put this robot to work."

Fiske watched the robot turn and roll out of his castle and into the late-evening darkness. The young man's plan showed some promise and while the nobleman wasn't completely satisfied with what it would accomplish, if successful, he had to admit that he couldn't come up with a better plan.

He was also faced with the very uncomfortable fact that he had initiated the entire fiasco, from well before the point at which he had performed the summoning rituals that had brought the spirit into play.

* * *

Back at Middleton High, school was not going well for Ron. Sure, he was on the top of the world with Tara holding his arm but school was more than just socializing with his girlfriend. The morning had gone fine but at lunch, Bonnie had called him a loser who wouldn't be able to ride on the squad's coat tails for much longer. Everyone at Ron's table had been shocked, since nobody knew what brought on the insult, especially since Bonnie had been nice to him, for the most part, for the last several weeks.

Afternoon classes had gone well until the last period. At that point, the Mrs. Thompson informed Monique and Ron that their research project had definitely gone beyond the scope they had intended, so they would have to come up with another one on short notice or receive a D for the semester. Neither teen took it well, although they didn't speak up in class.

"Okay, what's your brilliant plan?" Monique demanded of Ron, once they were in the hall.

"I don't have one!" Ron admitted.

"Well, you better come up with one!" She snarled. "You were the one that got us into this mess!"

"I seem to remember you thinking it was a great idea!" He snapped right back. "I seem to remember you being fine with me setting everything up! I seem to remember you being fine with the A's we've been getting so far!"

"I don't have time for this!" She yelled back. "Why don't you find us another research project, fast?"

"So you can say fine and bitch at me if it doesn't work?" He growled at her. "Pretty gutless on your part!"

"You want gutless?" She demanded. "What say I wipe that smirk off of your face?"

"Go for it," Ron's voice was equal parts disgust and weariness.

To everyone's shock, she did...or at least attempted to. Ron easily ducked her well-telegraphed slap. Her punch to his chest just bounced off of him and when she tried to knee him, he twisted his hips and accepted on his thigh the shot that she intended for his groin.

"Are we about done here?" He asked, sounding bored.

"This isn't over!" She hissed at him, storming past him, only to run headlong into Kim.

"I know you have a problem right now," the redhead snarled at her best female friend. "But that was way over the line!"

"What's over the line is that I'm going to get a D because of him!" Monique yelled. She then stepped around her friend and stalked off down the hall.

Kim looked back at Ron, but the blonde simply spun on his heel and stalked off in the other direction. Kim sighed, she really didn't need this kind of drama right now...or ever.

Kim welcomed the physical activity of cheer practice. Representatives from another magazine were present tonight and had the squad go through the entire routine, including Tara and Ron's dance routine. Afterwards, the reporters interviewed every member of the squad, Ron included. They seemed very disappointed that Ron hadn't joined the squad to be surrounded by pretty girls, but to spend time with his best friend. He was honest and said that he and Tara were boyfriend and girlfriend and said that he would be very uncomfortable performing the dance routine with anyone else.

To his surprise, Crystal had a word with him while the magazine reps were talking to Kim.

"Ron, I want you to know why Bonnie is so on your case," she told him. "Her sisters, Connie and Lonnie, were never on a squad that placed in a national competition and they're really getting on her case."

"So she got on mine," Ron added.

"It's a little deeper than that," Crystal told him. "During the last tournament, you got roses for all of us, so we'd all feel special. Well, Bonnie doesn't have a boyfriend and she didn't get a little congratulations gift. Her mom isn't about to get her a congratulations gift, her sisters won't and she has a fragile enough ego to take it hard when you didn't get her a little token this time, when you did last time."

"So now I'm a loser," Ron murmured, his mood getting darker. "By the way, why aren't you on my case? Hope and Marcella sure seem to be on her bandwagon."

"I was a little tweaked," Crystal admitted. "But I talked to my dad and he helped me realize that the rose you gave me was just what it was, something to make me feel special. It was a little gift from a nice guy. It wasn't something I was entitled to. You making that gesture, and it was a sweet one, didn't mean you were obligated to make more of them. I don't think Bonnie really understands that and Hope and Marcella are just going along with her because she's their friend."

"And I catch it in the lunchroom," Ron shook his head in disgust.

"Ron, she's just lashing out," Crystal protested. "You've been through this before! You just shrug this stuff off!"

"Maybe I don't really feel like playing that part any more," he grumbled. "Trust me, it isn't much fun."

"You've changed," she said, with a challenging look.

"It happens," he shrugged. "Look, I appreciate you telling me this, but I'm just tired of the same-old, same-old."

Crystal just gave him a fond pat on the shoulder and walked away.

Ron watched while the rest of the girls were interviewed, finishing with Kim. While the journalist was talking to the redhead, Paul, Liz's boyfriend, showed up. The squad's other redhead grabbed her boyfriend by the arm and wouldn't let him leave, making Ron smile at the sitch. He liked Paul, the shy boy was a good guy and it was nice to see him get some recognition. Sure enough, as soon as Kim was done with her interview, the squad assembled their puzzle pieces, to the journalist's delight. Liz wasn't about to let Paul escape without his own interview.

"That was incredibly clever of you," the reporter told the boy. "Thanks everyone."

The small group broke up, with each of the cheerleaders thanking the nervous boy. As they dispersed, they didn't notice the shy boy pointing at Ron. The mascot caught his gaze and shrugged, letting the woodworker know that he understood the score. Instead of complaining, Ron held his peace and hit the shower before once again walking Tara home. At least that was going right, giving his girlfriend a kiss goodnight before heading home. Of course, walking home alone and to an empty house, he had entirely too much time to think of the situation with the science project, Bonnie and the squad's puzzle. For a long time, he was tempted to perform a kata, as he could really use the good feelings. Finally, he settled for some sparring with Chippy before going to bed.

* * *

"Ron, Monique was way out of line yesterday and I'm going to talk to her," Kim told her best friend, as they walked to school on Thursday morning. "I think that Mrs. Thompson is also out of line."

"So do I," Ron grumbled. "But it takes a parent to protest a teacher's action and it looks like mine are out of town for a few more days, so that's not going to do me very much good, is it?"

Kim looked sharply at the blonde boy. He was bitter and she couldn't blame him. Bonnie was looking at him as a stress relief target, Monique was ripping him for something that wasn't his fault, his parents weren't around to support him when he needed them and there were other things bothering him that she couldn't put her finger on. She was very happy that he and Tara were still tight, because it seemed the only genuine smiles her longtime friend had anymore was when the bubbly blonde showed up.

"Just let me talk to Monique," Kim repeated. "If she can get one of her 'rents to talk to Barken and Mrs. Thompson, it'll help you in that regard, as well. Avoid her today and we'll see what tomorrow brings, okay?

"Fine," Ron shrugged with an indifference that was more concerning to Kim than anger would have been. She knew that expression; he had given up on either his high science grade or his friendship with Monique.

Maybe both.

"Ron, I know you've gotten a raw deal this last week or so," she told him. "Just hold on, okay? Bad times don't last forever, we've been through them before."

"Yeah," Ron grumbled. "Just like old times, nothing changes, does it?"

Before Kim could ask what that was supposed to mean, they reached school again and she closed her mouth. Tara made her appearance and claimed his arm, prompting a happy smile on his face. Inwardly, Kim sighed in relief. Tara was a godsend for Ron's attitude. Soon, the two blondes were walking down the hall, talking about their Valentine's Day date tomorrow. Kim couldn't help but laugh at Tara trying to wheedle details about her gift out of the boy.

"So, have you had any luck guessing your gift?" Felix's voice sounded next to her.

"I'm so not even going to try," Kim replied, setting her hand on his lower neck. "Just, please, when you pick me up, let me meet you outside the door. The tweebs are working on another robot and if you come in, they'll grab you and I'll never get you out of the house."

"Oh?" He asked. "Is it a wheeled or tracked robot?"

"Don't even start!" Kim was still more amused than irritated by the fact that her brothers were incredibly attached to the teen genius. "This is Valentine's Weekend. Deal with the girlfriend now, the little brothers later."

"Got it," he told replied, with a smile.

It wasn't the best of days for Kim, even though she was looking forward to a romantic date with Felix the next day. Her talk with Monique did not go well. The girl still blamed Ron for the research project's collapse. However, she did get the fashion maven to promise to get her mother to write the school about it.

The next step was talking to Bonnie about her attitude. Right in front of Hope and Marcella, the redhead stared down the food chain's queen protector and told her to change her attitude about the mascot. Bonnie had only planted her nose in the air and said that if she wanted a slobber hound on the squad, rather than a ballet performer, it was her choice. Kim wound up grinding her teeth in frustration.

The worst shot of the day came when she was leaving her last class. In the hallway, Mr. Barkin had Ron backed up against the hallway wall, informing him in no uncertain terms that his parents had to intercede on his behalf for his research project. While the letter from Monique's parents might, after due consideration, allow her to retain her "A", his own parents only had until the end of the day tomorrow to provide the letter to save his. When Ron protested that his parents were out of town, Barkin informed him that procedure was procedure and no deviations would be accepted.

Finally, it was time for cheer practice. Ron was more than a little frazzled-looking, but performing the routine with Tara, even with Bonnie's comments, clearly lightened his mood. It was a pretty standard practice even if yet another photographer was present. After practice, Liz asked to speak to her before they left for the night. Kim waited while her best friend walked away from the gym with Tara. After several minutes, Liz showed up and she and Kim were the last two in the gym.

"Paul is too shy to speak up in groups," Liz told Kim, with a smile that was both fond and exasperated. "He's been trying to tell the rest of the squad and everyone else, but nobody will listen long enough."

"Tell them what?" Kim asked.

"Ron had the idea for portrait jigsaw puzzle," Liz told the captain. "While Paul did most of the woodwork, Ron, Steve and Felix all helped. The boys got together and did it so the whole squad would feel special, just like when Ron gave everyone a rose!"

"And Bonnie's been on his case," Kim grumbled.

"It's no excuse for her to act that way," Liz said. "But it's really been bothering Paul that the squad has been telling him how wonderful he is, but nobody is giving any thanks to the other boys who helped."

"All the boyfriends pitched in to help," Kim mussed. "Sort of a teamwork thing. Thanks for telling me."

"I'll put some time aside after tomorrow's practice," Kim told her teammate. "Please have Paul show up and explain it. He still did a wonderful thing, but the other boys deserve a little credit."

As she walked home that night, Kim felt a little more upbeat about her friend. Maybe a little recognition for his efforts would help his attitude.

* * *

Ron was grinding his teeth in frustration. His parents weren't answering their phones; they hadn't responded to his texts and they hadn't responded to his emails. He had written out a letter about the research project for them to sign and send to the school, but unless they actually did so, he'd get a "D". Even worse, he was loosing a friend. He didn't have so many that he could stand to have Monique angry with him...and rightfully so.

Why did things have to work out this way? He had worked hard, become better, but it seemed he was right back to where he was last year. Bonnie was harshing on him, he was looking at a "D" in science and his parents were never here when he needed them the most. Okay, he was dating Tara and had a small group of friends now, but at the end of the day, like now, his only companions were a monkey and a naked mole rat. It wouldn't be that bad if it was unusual, but it wasn't. Here he was, alone and with nobody to count on except himself. Maybe he would be better off if he was the best him that he could be.

He walked out into the back yard and stood for a long time, weighing options and wondering if he was really all that better off right now than he was a couple of weeks ago. His current course in life wasn't gaining him respect, only scorn and indifference.

His decision made, he performed his first kata and welcomed the rush he gained. As he expected, Master Sensei appeared while he was performing the second.

"Stoppable-san," the old man protested. "Why do you do this? Did you not learn your lesson last week? You are not ready for such power."

"Maybe not," Ron replied, without interrupting his kata. "But I wasn't ready to not have the power, either. Sure, I was a little happier but what did that get me? Failing grades, friends who don't like me any more, scorn from teammates and parents who still don't give a damn. If I keep improving, at least I can count on me!"

"And is it worth that?" Sensei asked him. "Will you not be even more alone and isolated?"

"Maybe being alone is better than having friends get mad at you for no reason," Ron continued. "Having a stranger tear into you hurts, having a friend tear into you hurts worse. Maybe it's better to not think of your teammates like friends, because when they quit being nice to you and go back to how they normally treat you, it hurts worse."

By now, Ron finished his second kata. He felt the minor rush from this one, as well as a pain in his feet.

"Stoppable-san, such irritations are temporary," Sensei explained. "The isolation and damage you risk to yourself is permanent."

Ron simply started his third and most powerful ritualistic kata. When Sensei's image wound up in the way, the boy simply passed through the sending.

"This insolence is not like you, Stoppable-san!" The old man declared. "Where is the kindly boy I knew?"

Ron was concentrating too much on his kata to answer. Although he was troubled, his concentration was on. He finished and felt a massive surge through his body. His eyes glowed blue and his feet ached, but it was a good ache, something like pulling a splinter out. It took him several minutes to calm himself enough to address his audience.

"I can remember that being kindly didn't get me very far," Ron told him. "The last time I tangled with Fiske, Shego and Drakken, I had respect. That's better. Now, if you don't mind, I have meditation to perform."

* * *

Tara King was preparing for bed, looking at the package on her desk. She had promised Ron that she wouldn't open her gift until tomorrow morning, but it was very difficult to keep that promise. She knew that it had to be clothes, accessories or jewelry and Ron would expect her to be wearing whatever it was tomorrow. She was distracted by a knock on her window. Looking up, she saw Yori, and the Japanese girl had a very dire look on her face.

* * *

 _A/N: It isn't looking good for Ron's mental state. We'll have to see what happens next._

 _As always, thanks to Joe Stoppinghem for beta reading._


	16. Chapter 16

Kim Possible was more than a little nervous as she waited for her best friend to show up for their walk to school. Yori had spoken to her last night, telling her that the blonde boy was performing kata again, seeking power. She had also spoken about Ron's disquiet, how he wanted respect rather than affection. Kim understood that she couldn't be everything to Ron, but she couldn't help but feel that she had failed her friend. There was going to be a very unpleasant, but necessary talk and Kim wasn't looking forward to this.

Finally, she saw the blonde boy walking up the street. She grabbed her coat, hat and gloves and prepared for the confrontation. Stepping outside, she noted that her friend was looking at her with a grim expression. He was probably aware that she would be in the know by now.

"You've been doing kata and trying to gain power again," she said, falling into step beside him.

"I see that Sensei and Yori have been talking," he noted. "And Yori has passed the world."

"Why, Ron?" She asked. "You looked so much happier when we came back from nationals!"

"Being happy wasn't getting me anywhere," Ron told her. "Sure, I was happy, but Drakken still didn't remember my name. Being happy didn't help me when Yori and I took down Shego, it was my greater power that did that! Being happy didn't let me turn Fiske's monkey ninjas away, it was the better MMP that I got from doing the katas! Being happy didn't let me stand up to him and let Yori sneak up behind him, it was my power from the katas that did that!"

"So you're tougher," she challenged him. "What about it? Does the power make you happy?"

"Not having the power doesn't make me happy," he countered. "Letting go of it doesn't mean I'm not ignored. Letting go of it doesn't get my parents to write the letter to the school that they need to. Letting go of it doesn't keep my friends."

"Monique is out of line, I told you that," Kim reminded him.

"It should be me and her ganging up on Mrs. Thompson," he growled back. "She's messing with both of us, but Monique is jumping on me, as well!"

"That's not right," Kim told him. "There must be something else going on."

"Like with Bonnie?" He snarled. "She's catching it from her sisters, so she tears into me in public, just like she always has. Does being friendly and pleasant stop it? No! I helped Paul work on the gift to give the squad but does anyone even say thanks? No!"

"Paul told Liz that the woodworking was your idea," Kim informed him. "Liz told me last night."

"It still tanks that the squad gets mad at me for not getting them roses again."

"That's just Bonnie, Hope and Marcella," Kim corrected.

"But nobody has a word with them," Ron countered. "Crystal gave me the 'hang in there' speech the other night, but nobody's telling those three to not do it in the first place."

"Ron, this stuff never used to bother you!" Kim reminded him.

"Maybe I got a look from the other side!" He countered. "Maybe I realized that being the happy little buffoon isn't that great. Maybe I'd rather be someone worth respecting than being tolerated."

"What about Tara?" Kim countered. "She fell for the happy, kindly boy!"

"But nothing really happened on that front until I started to get more powerful, did it?" He countered.

"What!?" Kim demanded.

"I was just the clumsy little sidekick; the buffoon; the comedy relief until I mastered that first kata," Ron pointed out. "And I had been for years. Within months of mastering the first one, I can stand up to Fiske, hold my own against Shego, my grades came up and I wound up with a girlfriend. Try telling me that it was all coincidence!"

"But you're now in danger of loosing the friends and the girlfriend," Kim pointed out. "Your grades are going to slip if you don't pay attention to them...because you're getting obsessed with the power. That's all I'm saying. At what point does chasing this power take away everything you've worked for?"

"I think you're the one who has trouble with it!" Ron snarled right back. "As long as I was the pathetic little buffoon, I was at your beck and call, wasn't I? You were my only friend, so I'd do anything to keep you happy with me! Now, I'm almost as good as you are! I was in the lead when Yori and I took down Fiske, but you just couldn't believe that it was _**my**_ plan and _**I**_ was the one that fought Fiske to let Yori make her move!"

"I've always wanted you to better yourself!" She protested. "I worked with you on that first kata! I told you that Tara was flirting with you!"

"But you've never handled it well when I've done something as well as you!" He shot right back. "When we were in Home Ec., even though you didn't really like the class, when I did better you got mad! When I did better at our Bueno Nacho jobs, you got mad at me!"

"Okay, you have a point with the Home Ec sitch," she admitted. "But the Bueno Nacho sitch, Ron, you were letting the power go to your head! Just like when Global Justice was investigating the Ron Factor!"

"Well, this time I'm doing it for you!" He informed her. "I didn't want to come up short on a mission and see you hurt, or worse, because of it! I'm doing it for you and instead of appreciating it, or even being happy for me, you're telling me to stop."

"I'm telling you to stop because it isn't worth it to me if you aren't...you...any more!" Kim's voice actually hitched a little. "Ron, I've known you almost my entire life! I don't know if I like this new you! I don't know if you really like this new you!"

"So I'm not allowed to change?" He demanded.

"Yes! Of course you're allowed to change. I just don't think it's a good idea for you to change so fast!" She pleaded. "Not with these side effects!"

This one actually took the blonde boy aback a bit. Instead of angry, he looked thoughtful. By this time, they were at school. As per the usual routine, Tara showed up at Kim's locker and claimed Ron's arm.

"I opened your present this morning," the blonde girl gushed at the boy, peeking down the hall and noting that Barkin was watching them like a hawk. "I'll wear it for our date tonight."

THAT remark had Kim more than a little curious about what IT was, but she was equally determined to give her friends a little privacy in that regard. Such internal conflict was quickly interrupted by Wade's call.

"The mystery of who stole the Transportulator is still active," the young genius told them. "But we know more. Fiske just received communication from someone claiming to have it. Whoever it is, he called for Fiske to come, alone, to an abandoned zoo in Arizona."

"What's the plan?" Kim asked him, noting that Yori had appeared and was now listening in.

"Fiske is not up for a confrontation," Wade reported. "He still has an injured kidney and ribs from the confrontation with Yori and Ron. However, we can use him as a distraction. He is going to send his car to meet his private aircraft, in London. He'll have three of his monkeys stack themselves under a cloak to mimic him, from a distance. They'll board the aircraft and it will take off and fly to Phoenix. If whomever is making the demands has some sort of surveillance going on, they should think that Fiske is on the way."

"Uh, Wade?" Ron interrupted. "If whomever made the demands actually thinks that Fiske is going through with it, he won't be expecting the man for...what, eight hours, ten? It's a long trip from England to Arizona."

"That's our advantage!" Wade told him. "I'm getting blueprints for the facility as we speak. The two of you should be able to infiltrate the area, find out who we're dealing with and recover the Transportulator before the bad guy knows you're in the area!"

"Which bad guy?" Ron grumbled. "The last time I dealt with Fiske, he was planning on coming after YOU...personally. The time before that, he wanted to kill KP and myself. The time before that, he was trying to drink KP's blood! The time before that, he had one of his monkeys shoot KP with what he thought was a poisoned dart!"

"Ron, be reasonable," Wade protested. "If we do this right, we can take him out of the bad guy ranks!"

"You think it's that easy?" Ron looked stunned. "Even if you overlook the tiny detail that he wants to kill me because I'm the only other human with Mystical Monkey Power, he threatened kids at the space center, tried to kill KP several times and threatened to come after you! He doesn't take failure very well and the doesn't give a damn about anyone around him."

"So what are we supposed to do, kill him?" Kim demanded, tired of the argument.

"No, but that spirit helps keep him in check," Ron countered. "What's the farthest distance between two points on the globe, seventeen thousand kilometers, or something like that? If the spirit moves at about five kilometers per hour, it covers that distance in something like one hundred and fifty days. That means that if Fiske sets up a new lair to do something nasty, he has to be moving again before a half-year goes by."

"It also makes him desperate," Kim told her friend. "And the spirit can do an awful lot of collateral damage, itself."

"And I'll have a threat to hold over Fiske, when all is said and done," Wade assured him.

"Okay, fine, I'll go along," Ron grumbled.

"Your ride will be there in about twenty," Wade told them.

"Ron," Tara interrupted the discussion. "How long will you be gone?"

"It's only Arizona," Ron thought for a moment. "So I'll miss most, if not all of the school day, but I should be back in time for our date tonight."

"Then I'm going to give you your Valentines Day present right now," Tara told him.

"Uh, Tara?" Kim interrupted. "We're sort of in a public place at the moment, so if you were thinking..."

"Kim, could you just give me a moment?" Tara looked disgusted with the redhead. She pulled a small box out of her backpack and handed it to her boyfriend.

"Please open it now," she asked him.

Ron opened the box and pulled out a medal, showing an angel slaying a dragon. He looked close and read...

"Saint Michael protect us," Ron looked at his girlfriend.

"I know you're not Catholic or Christian," Tara said. "But since you won't take the jade pendant back, I wanted to give you something. Saint Michael is the Patron Saint of the armed forces or, like Father Brenton says, the Patron Saint of those who step forward and say, 'you'll have to deal with me first'. When I told him who I wanted to give this to, when, and why, he was honored to bless it."

"You can't just hand it to me," Ron told her, handing it back to her and lowering his head.

She took the medal and put the chain around his neck, taking the opportunity to press her lips close to his ear.

"I don't care if it's Team Possible," she whispered to him. "You're _my_ hero, never forget it. I don't care if you come back in time for our date, just come back."

Caught up in the moment, Ron kissed his girlfriend's forehead. The Ron factor must have been working, since Barkin was keeping a close eye on Jess and Steve at that time. Grabbing their bags of mission gear, Kim and Ron made their way to the front door, only to encounter Yori.

"I will accompany you, if you do not mind," she told them. "Stoppable-san and myself have performed two missions, so I believe I can be of assistance."

"We're going into the unknown, so every bit of help is welcome," Kim admitted. "Let's get moving."

* * *

"So we know we're going up against gorillas," Kim told the other two, as they sat in the back of the delivery airliner. "These things are strong, so fighting is sort of out of the question."

"The cable in your grapple should be strong enough to restrain creatures even so powerful," Yori pointed out. "Should our mission turn into a confrontation, perhaps this would be our best course of action."

"Good call," Kim nodded. "Any more ideas from either of you?"

"I think we'll have the agility and endurance advantage," Ron shrugged.

"How sure are you of this?" Kim asked him.

"I just know," Ron told her. "Maybe the mystical monkey power gives me a little insight on all primates. Think of the gorillas like sumo wrestlers; they can generate unbelievable power for a short time but can't sustain it for very long. They have great straight-line speed, but can't corner well when they get into a sprint."

"Okay, that's the plan," Kim decided. "I have the most experience with the grapple. You two get them running and I'll try to entangle them. Remember, the goal is to get the Transportulator, if we can do that without fighting the bad guys, we do it."

Neither Ron nor Yori could come up with a better idea, so they changed into their mission gear and discussed details on the way. They deliberately didn't talk about Ron's katas during the trip; this would be a topic reserved for the return trip, if it was discussed at all.

It was another parachute insertion into the target area. The three teens found themselves standing on a steep peak. Just beneath them, a river poured out of a tunnel in the mountain.

"Talk to me, Wade," Kim requested.

"Okay, this isn't an abandoned zoo," Wade's voice reported. "It's one that has been under construction, off and on, for a decade. The developers wanted to make use of some abandoned mine shafts. The waterfall you're looking at is part of the aeration system."

"Interesting, but I'm more interested in where we should go next." Kim noted.

"Okay, I suspect that anything and anyone of value is going to be in the old mine. I'm sending a layout to your Kimmunicator at this time. I suggest you make use of a vertical, ventilation shaft twenty meters to your northeast. Leave Ron's Kimmunicator at the service as a repeater."

The teens found a grate over a vertical shaft and used Kim's laser to cut it free. Kim used her grapple to lower herself down the shaft until she was hovering just above the opening to a horizontal shaft. Taking a deep breath, she suddenly lowered herself down into the tunnel and looked both ways. Seeing that the coast was clear, she signaled for her companions to join her.

"Coast is clear in a horizontal tunnel," she told Wade.

"Drift," Wade told her.

"Drift where?" She asked, as Ron lowered himself out of the shaft.

"In mines, vertical tunnels are shafts, horizontal tunnels are drifts," Wade told her. "I suggest you make your way south. That's where the ape house was supposed to be built."

"Got it," Kim told him. "Yori, you have the rear. Ron, take the first bound."

Kim and Ron had worked out this sort of action during countless missions. Ron slid to the very edge of the light that Kim held. Once there, he turned on his own and allowed Kim, now without light, to slip in front of him, to the edge of his light. Bounding like this, they worked their way along the drift to a larger such tunnel. Once in the larger tunnel (or main drift, as Wade insisted on calling it) they turned deeper into the mountain. Two more bounds put Ron in the lead when he suddenly waved Kim back. The redhead trotted back the way she came when Ron broke into a sprint her way, making a twirling gesture with his hands.

Understanding, Kim released the hold on her grapple and handed the hook to Yori. The cheerleader jumped across the drift, holding the cable knee-high as the blonde sprinted by, trying to disguise his high-step to avoid the cable. A short distance behind him, a gorilla in medieval, Asian armor charged him with a knuckle-walking gallop. It tripped on the dark cable and fell on its face. Yori and Kim moved quickly to entangle the beast.

It wasn't easy, the gorilla thrashed and struggled, its incredible strength hard to overcome. Still, Yori and Kim proved to be quick and agile. They jumped and flipped around the beast, throwing loops over its limbs and tugging out the slack, finally leaving the primate trussed on the stone floor. Ron quickly rejoined them.

"We have to move," he stated, while Kim reloaded her grapple and nodded.

"I do not understand," Yori admitted.

"We've alerted a guard," Kim explained. "It's only a matter of time before whomever we're dealing with realizes this and reacts. We have to move, fast, now before they realize what happened."

"I have the lead," Ron told them, and charged back the way the gorilla had come from. Kim gave him a slight lead and matched his pace. Yori was no fool; she gave Kim the same lead that Kim had given Ron and maintained the pace, as well.

Soon, a large door, flanked by torches, loomed ahead out of the darkness. Ron didn't bother with testing for traps; he tried the knob and finding it unlocked, threw the door open. The blonde boy lunged inside, seeing what looked like a castle's main room. In front of the throne was another gorilla, identical to the one they had trust up, as well as a smaller gorilla. Two burly men flanked the throne and sitting on the throne was...

"Falsetto Jones?" Ron was completely confused.

"Your first guard wasn't quite up to the challenge, was he?" The villain asked, in his high pitched voice.

"You'll find my remaining guard and myself more than capable," the smaller gorilla answered. "Just remember to give me what I want."

Both gorillas turned onto the blonde boy.

"But you're a dog burglar," Ron protested. "Not a gorilla burglar! You're sneaky! You could have grabbed the Transportulator without Drakken even knowing! Why did you bring in apes to do the job?"

"Because I wanted the criminal community to know I had the device," Falsetto squeaked at him. "If I had taken it, Drakken could have claimed to still have it. So I made a deal to make an obvious theft. Soon, Fiske will be here, I'll cut the deal to get the antiquities I want from him and my associate gets what she wants, as well."

"And what is that?"

"I think I've done enough talking," Jones smiled, as the two gorillas closed in on Ron. "I'm just going to sit back and watch the gorillas take care of you."

"I still think that's a major etiquette breach," the blonde complained.

He managed to duck under the large gorilla's legs but the smaller ape caught his backpack. It swung its other paw at him but Ron shrugged off the container and landed two hard punches to his assailant's torso...to no visible effect. He managed to half-dodge and half-block the follow up swat...the ape was very powerful but not very skilled...and Ron was sent sprawling by the force of the blow. Fortunately for him, he was sent flying away from the other ape.

The smaller ape was after him in a moment. The blonde barely had time to roll out of the way before the primate landed right where he had been lying a moment before. Although sore, Ron decided that he would be a great deal more sore if he didn't get moving. Sure enough, the larger gorilla was now rushing him again. The distraction feinted to the left and lunged to the right, sprinting away from the primates and towards the throne. Jones' guards stepped in front of him in response to the blonde's approach.

Instead of rushing the master thief, Ron braced his feet on the step leading up to the throne and launched himself backwards, hoping that the distraction would work. Somehow, he managed to backwards somersault between both primates' legs and recover, gaining a bit of room to run.

"KP!" He yelled, running along the wall. "A little help here!"

He heard the telltale sound of the grapple discharging, so managed to slide under the extending cable. Kim's timing was perfect; the pursuing gorilla encountered the still-extending cable, causing the hook to spin around it. The smaller gorilla avoided its companion while Kim started to tumble around the large one, entangling it even more. Suddenly, Jones began to laugh, which prompted a smile from Ron.

Ron made a show of being pinned against the far wall. As soon as the smaller gorilla got close to him, he made a lunge as if he were trying to sidestep the beast, then vaulted over it, using its ornate helmet to launch himself. He could now glance around and see that everything was going right; Rufus was on the ground in front of Jones, struggling with the Transportulator. Kim was still entangling the large gorilla while the smaller one was pulling of its helmet. Finally, a shadow in the dim room was moving towards the throne. It was time to get out before the first gorilla, out in the drift, freed itself and joined the fray.

Ron scooped up Rufus and found himself face to face with the Jones' two, large guards.

"Hand over the rodent and the device," one of them demanded.

"Not happening," Ron told them, backing away. "In fact, I suggest the two of you just hold still and let me go."

"Why would we do that?" The second guard asked.

"Because I am holding a push dagger's point against your employer's right kidney," Yori announced. Every eye suddenly turned towards the throne, where Yori stood behind Falsetto Jones, her left arm around his throat and her right behind him. "I must warn you that I have not been fastidious in cleaning this weapon. Should I puncture this organ, your employer will not only experience extreme pain, but multiple infections."

"Okay, why don't we all stand down," Kim suggested, stepping away from a thoroughly trussed gorilla. She looked to the smaller gorilla, who had finally pulled off the helmet and mask to reveal... "DNAmy?"

"What kind of a wrong-sick alliance is this?" Ron demanded.

"Falsetto told me that Monty needed the Transportulator," Amy answered. "He's a good burglar, but he wasn't up to facing Drakken's security. He wanted the Transportulator to trade to Monty for some valuable heirlooms and other antiquities."

"What do you get out of all of this?" Kim asked, although she was pretty sure she could guess...

"I get Monty," Amy smiled. "He's so shy, but once he's here, we'll be together, especially when he sees that I gave myself gorilla arms and legs to match his monkey hands and feet, all for him! "

"Did Falsetto tell you _why_ Fiske needed the Transportulator?" Ron asked the geneticist.

"That isn't necessary for the allia... _nce!"_ Jones' last word was delivered with an even higher tone. Ron was pretty sure that a push dagger had just pricked his skin.

"That's _LORD FISKE_ to you," Amy growled. "But no."

"There's a spirit of some sort pursuing him," Kim told her. "It's slow, but unstoppable. It's driven him out of his castle twice, and drove him out of Duff Killigan's castle, as well."

"Do you have any proof?" Amy demanded.

"Don't you follow him?" Kim asked. "He went to China to get the Amulet of the Monkey King, to try to fight it. He then went to Ethiopia to try to find ancient talisman's that would protect him from it. After that, he went to Myanmar to research ancient knowledge, trying to learn more about it. Our technical man, Wade, has a plan, but he needs the Transportulator to make it work."

"What good can it do?" Amy asked.

"It has something to do with the fact that the spirit can break through any door," Kim shrugged. "That means anywhere Fis...er...Lord Fiske goes, the spirit can follow him. Somehow, Wade thinks that he can use the Transportulator to trap the spirit. That's why Lord Fiske contacted Dementor."

"That makes sense," Amy pondered. "And Hildegarde was so upset when that Shego hussy stole the device!"

"That's not the most important part," Ron spoke up, taking a chance. "If you would have kept Mon...er...Lord Fiske here, the spirit would have eventually come here. It would have killed him right in front of you! Being trapped in any way can be deadly for him right now."

"My Monty? Killed?" Amy gasped. "Jones! You didn't care! All you wanted was his money and his heirlooms! Nobody does that to my Monty!" Growling, the geneticist with the gorilla's body bounded towards the throne.

"I believe that this is your cue to flee," Yori informed the thief, releasing her grip and pulling the blade away from his back. Jones took one look at the oncoming gorilla/geneticist hybrid and ran. After a moment's contemplation, Jones' guards stepped to the side and let her pass.

"Are we done here?" Kim asked the guards, while Amy chased Jones out the front door.

"I don't think fighting's going to accomplish anything," one of the guards said. "If you don't mind, we'll just fire up the helicopter and pick him up."

"Sounds good to me," Kim nodded. The three teens watched the two guards hustle off.

"Perhaps we should do the same, before the gorillas free themselves," Yori suggested.

"A very good idea," Kim agreed. They quickly retraced their steps, hiking down the far side of the mountain to meet up with a long-haul trucker, who delivered them to a local airport. From there, Wade fixed them up with spare seats on an airliner to Pueblo. Their next step was the back of a service van, which is where Kim and Yori finally had the chance to speak to Ron, in private.

* * *

"Mrs. Thompson, can I can speak to Monique for a moment?" Mr. Barkin interrupted science class.

"Of course, Mr. Barkin," the teacher agreed. She nodded for the student to join Barkin in the hallway.

"Mrs. Thompson asked me to give you this news," the vice-principal told the teen, once she was clear of the classroom. "The fever she contracted from her earlier encounter with the virus affected her earlier judgment. In layman's terms, she was suffering from fur-association aggravation fever."

"What does that mean, Mr. B?"

"It means that the very thought of furred creatures made her argumentative and irritable," the big man explained. "It means that you and Stoppable have a very solid research project going, but because it involved discussing furred creatures, she became immediately and irrationally contrary and angry."

"You can't be serious," Monique stared at the man, a disbelieving expression on her face.

"Do not question me on this," he rumbled. "Besides, what purpose would a middle-aged man have to invent such a story?"

 _cough, cough_

"Okay, but does that mean that our science project is back on?" Monique asked.

"Indeed it does," Mr. Barkin informed her. "In the interest of maintaining teacher authority and respect, I deemed it best to not have Mrs. Thompson inform you of this in front of the class."

"So I don't have to worry about that anymore," Monique breathed a sigh of relief. "Can I go back to class now?"

"One more item," he told her, reaching into his jacket and pulling out an envelope. "I consider it bad form to pass on messages from students' employers, but since this was the head of a multi-national corporation who sounded incredibly distressed, I chose to make an exception."

"My supervisor isn't all that excitable," Monique mused, taking opening the envelope. "Oh my! This is from Cocoa Banana himself!"

"What is the significance of this message?" Barkin asked.

"It means that I've been harshing on Ron, double time, for no reason!" She gasped.

"I don't understand the significance of Mr. Fruity's message." Mr. Barkin admitted.

"Mr. Banana doesn't always explain why he does things, and he's very impulsive," Monique explained. "The week before last, I got a message that Ron had stopped by Milan and picked up two Cocoa Banana original designs. I thought that he had tricked Mr. Banana into giving him the designs and was going to sell them or something. Since he's my friend, I could have been implicated."

"I take it that wasn't the case," the vice-principal noted.

"Exactly! Mr. Banana made two designs. One was a favor to Ron, to give to Tara and the other was for Yori, who happened to be with him at the time. Ron was just asking Cocoa for a Valentine's Day gift for Tara and Cocoa, being very kind and impulsive, made one for Yori while she was there! I need to give Ron a massive apology when I see him again."

"That will have to wait for later," the big man told her. "You need to get back to class."

* * *

 _Well, another chapter in the books. It looks like at least one other thing might be breaking Ron's way, but will he learn about it in time?_

 _As always, thanks to Joe Stoppinghem for Beta reading._


	17. Chapter 17

"So...about this pursuing power," Kim confronted her best friend.

"We've already been over this," her grumbled. "I have my reasons."

"We only wish to express our concern for you," Yori interrupted.

"Well, that concern doesn't do very much when I'm losing my friends, losing my grade and my parents don't seem to care one bit," Ron snarled back.

"What friends are you losing?" Yori asked him. "Monique-san seems most antagonistic, for which she seems to have no reason. Yet Possible-san, Renton-san, myself and many others do not wish to end our friendships with you."

"Mrs. Thompson is out of line," Kim added. "And your folks are out of contact right now. That's not a reason to give up. The rest of your grades are great. Don't throw everything away because of a few setbacks."

"You guys just don't understand," his shoulders slumped. "Here, I thought I was making real progress! I was moving up and making myself better but at the end of the day, I can't break out of this loser mold I made for myself." He looked up. "KP, you still didn't believe that I could come up with a good plan or stand up to Fiske. Bonnie's still using me as her stress relief target, the science teacher doesn't seem to want to give me a fair break and my folks are never around when I need them."

"Some things have changed," Kim assured him. "You rubbed my nose in the fact that you're more than a sidekick. Except for Bonnie, the rest of the squad has figured out how much you're worth. You've made additional friends and you're dating Tara now. You're moving up, even if you're hitting a few setbacks."

"I don't know," Ron said. "I feel so strong after performing kata and getting better. I want to be someone that other people won't mess with just because they can."

"Is it worth it?" Kim asked him. "Is it worth it if it means losing more friends and your girlfriend?"

"I don't know," Ron admitted. "I...I...have to ask, does having friends always mean being so vulnerable, so easy to hurt?"

"That is the risk," Yori admitted. "Only you can answer that. Possible-san hurt you when she thought that I came up with the plan to defeat Fiske, but haven't the years of friendship you have enjoyed been worth the few moments of disquiet? Monique-san is currently angry with you, but has her friendship been worth it to you? Your parents are currently out of communication, but can you discount the years of support they have given you because of the last few days?"

"I have a confession," Kim told him. "Ron, you are changing. On the squad, you've become more than just a comedic distraction. On the missions, you've become more than just a sidekick and academically, you've become more than dead weight." She took a deep breath, "sometimes, it's not easy to accept change. It can take a lot of courage to make changes happen."

"I still don't know," Ron shook his head. "I'll give it another week. If things start going better, I'll lay off the power trip. If they don't, if I can't work through things then...well...maybe being a Mystical Monkey Power master is the only thing that's out there for me."

Kim wasn't comfortable with the answer, but she couldn't come up with a better solution on short notice.

They arrived in Middleton after classes and cheer practice were over. Kim was very reluctant to let Ron out of her sight, but decided that if she couldn't trust him to keep his word now, she'd never be able to trust him at all. Deciding that she had her own life to live, she called Felix, who finalized the details for their date. Despite the drama in her life, Kim indulged in a rueful smile. The most difficult aspect of dating Felix was her brothers. Her boyfriend was something of a robotics genius which meant that her brothers always wanted to be with him. Getting him away from them could be a real challenge at times.

Her social life addressed, she called Wade.

"I have a meeting to transfer the device set up," her young friend told her. "I'll need you, Yori and Ron to show up at the school gym, tomorrow at ten in the morning. I'm letting Ron know as we speak."

"Sounds reasonable," Kim nodded. "I have another potential problem."

"Ron's trying to build up his MMP after a rough week?" Wade asked.

"You being so completely on top of things is really creepy," she told him. "No matter how useful."

"I have a plan for Ron's situation, as well. If the three of you show up for the exchange, I'll have an expert standing by to talk to him."

* * *

Ron was feeling much better by the time he reached Tara's house. For one thing, his parents had called him back, informing him that they had gotten his email, had read his letter to the school, agreed with it, signed it and sent it to Middleton High. While he wasn't certain to have a reprieve for his science project, it was at least something. He had wanted to go over their absence in so much of his life, but decided that a phone call wasn't the means to do so.

Getting cleaned up also helped. While Ron wasn't a big fan of dressing up, there were times to do so. Now, wearing a jacket and tie, he actually felt good about how he looked. That helped his attitude as he climbed out of his mother's car and approached the door, roses and chocolates in hand. When Tara opened the door, his chin nearly hit the floor.

Of course, he had seen a model wear the outfit, back in Milan. Somehow, that girl had not done the clothing the justice that his girlfriend was doing it right now. It accentuated her athletic, but very feminine form, very well. The skirt wasn't terribly short and the neckline didn't plunge, but both gave the illusion of being a great deal more daring than they actually were. The result was an absolutely stunning young woman.

"Wow!" Was all he could say.

"You like it?" She asked, performing a twirl.

"Amazing doesn't even begin to say it," He commented. When she twirled, the skirt lifted slightly but again, it gave the illusion of lifting more than it did, making it a very flirty outfit.

"You must have seen it before, when you got it for me," Tara chided him.

"Well, yeah," he admitted. "But that was just a model wearing it. On you...wow."

"Come in!" Her father shouted from the living room, saving Ron from any more foot-in-the-mouth moments. Tara grabbed his arm and pulled him along.

Once in the living room, Ron saw that Tara's father was also wearing a suit. For a moment, he wondered if he would wind up double dating with his girlfriend's parents. He hadn't decided if it sounded terrifying, humiliating or charming when the older man stepped up and shook his hand.

"Ron, you really look the part of the gentleman when you want to, don't you?"

"Well, I..." Ron really didn't know how to respond to that.

"Well, here's the young couple!" Mrs. King, wearing a formal dress, walked into the room. Ron could see where Tara got her looks. "I need some pictures."

"Mrs. King?" Ron requested. "Could you take a couple of pictures of just Tara? The designer who made this outfit for her would love to see how well he did."

"Of course," the older woman said, while Ron stepped away. "Of course, by having me take the photos and send them to you, you automatically have parental approval, don't you?"

"I was thinking of that," Ron admitted. "Of course, once Mr. Banana gets those pictures, Tara's going to be getting offers to model."

The older King woman took a couple of pictures of her daughter before urging Ron to join the younger blonde. Of course, she talked about the cute couple they made. "And you're only teenagers," she commented, with a shake of her head.

"I trust you won't be doing any swimming in the creek this time," Mr. King added, with a smirk. "Even though you two did what you had to do, getting a call from a policeman raised my blood pressure."

"It wasn't really our idea," Ron protested.

"I know," Mr. King chuckled at him. "Could you give me a hand with the luggage?" He pointed at two suitcases sitting next to his chair. "The two of us are going to a concert in Upperton and are going to spend the night."

"Sure," Ron shrugged and took a bag. He understood a set-up when he saw it but tried to contain his nerves.

Mr. King wanted a word with him, alone.

"I'm not going to mince words with you," Mr. King told him, as they exited the house and entered the attached garage. "Tara was honest with us and told us everything that happened here on New Years Eve...and everything that didn't happen."

Ron gulped slightly.

"Relax," the older man told him. "I'm not upset about your behavior. The only thing I'm upset about is that you wound up wearing my sweats, commando, but since two boys were saved because of it, I can't complain."

"Ron, I said before that you've been a gentleman towards my daughter," he continued, opening a car door and setting his bag inside. "I mean it. Maybe someday, if you have a daughter of your own, you'll understand how much that means."

"I've also come to the uncomfortable conclusion that my little girl is growing up," he told Ron, taking the bag from the teen and setting it in the car. "While I don't like the idea of her experimenting with what growing up means, I have to admit that if she's determined to do it, she's going to. I'd much rather that she do it someplace safe and with someone who respects her."

Now, the older man took a deep breath before continuing. "She has strong feelings for you, and I don't have to tell you what kind of scum it would make you if you were to take advantage of them. I'd threaten you, but since you're used to facing threats from folks a whole lot nastier than I'll ever be, it wouldn't have much effect. Besides, you've never actually tried to take advantage of her feelings, have you?"

"N-no," Ron stammered.

"I'm not giving her a curfew tonight," Mr. King stated, closing the car door. "I'm simply going to ask her to let us know when she gets home. Are you planning on staying out late?"

"No," Ron found his voice. "Mr. King, even if I wanted to stay out late, I spent today being chased by a couple of gorillas. I'm really not looking for more excitement after that."

"You...you're serious, aren't you?" Mr. King couldn't keep an incredulous expression from his face. "I mean, about the gorillas?"

Ron only nodded.

"So, your plan is for dinner, some dancing, then back here or to your place for some couple time?"

Ron couldn't stop himself before rubbing the back of his head with a nervous expression.

"Young man, I'm not _that_ old," Mr. King told him. "And I've said before that the two of you are trustworthy." Mr. King took another, deep breath. "This isn't giving the two of you permission for anything. Rather, if the two of you come to a mutual agreement, no coercion either way, and you understand the possible consequences, _and_ you've taken the proper precautions, **and** the two of you stay discrete about it; I won't be happy with it, but I'll accept it. On the other hand, if you pressure her into anything, or you don't take the proper precautions, or you brag about your relationship with her, I'll do much, much worse than hurt you. I'll simply tell your parents and let them take care of it. Do you understand me?"

"Completely," Ron assured him.

"Now, let's go back inside so you can treat my daughter like a lady."

* * *

The date seemed to go okay for Ron; he enjoyed himself and Tara seemed to, as well. They had a nice dinner, followed by a movie and dancing. It was getting a little on the late side when they agreed it was time to go home.

"Go ahead and pull into the driveway," Tara instructed him. He complied and, as per his habit, offered her his arm for the walk to her door.

"Did dad scare you?" She asked him at the door, an impish expression on her face.

"Well, a little," he admitted.

"Care to come in for a bit?" she asked, giggling at him. Then, her face grew more serious, "there's some things we need to talk about."

"Sure," he told her.

With a nod, she opened the door and led him inside.

"The fire's set in the wood-burner downstairs," she told him, pulling her phone out of her purse. "Why don't you light it and wait for me? I'll be down after I let my folks know I'm home."

Again, Ron knew when to give Tara her privacy, so he did as requested. It was a little chilly in the basement but by the time his girlfriend arrived, it was warm close to the stove. As soon as Tara got downstairs, she joined him near the warm appliance. Hesitantly, Ron put his arm around her shoulders and was grateful when she leaned into the embrace. For a few minutes, they stood there, enjoying the close contact with each other, before Tara led them back to the couch. She sat close to Ron, so that they remained in contact. Ron put his arm around her again and she sighed happily, but wouldn't be dissuaded from what she wanted to discuss.

"Yori showed up last night and talked to me," Tara told him, which made Ron tense up. "She told me that you had been doing something to gain more power again. I admit that I don't know the whole story, but she told me it could become addicting, almost like taking a drug. Is that true?"

"I'm not sure, but I think so," he admitted. "Getting stronger is a big rush."

"But it could make you turn your back on your friends, family...me?" She asked.

"According to Yori, yes," he told her. Come to think of it, Wade sort of hinted the same thing to me."

"Why?" She asked, her big, blue eyes seemed to bore into Ron. "I thought you were happy! You were making new friends! Your grades were getting better!" Her eyes lowered and she trembled just a bit, "you had me."

"Things started going so bad!" He told her. "KP automatically assumed that Yori came up with the plan and fought Fiske...then the teacher said my science project was invalid, then Monique jumped all over me because of it. My folks weren't around to help and then we had the mission against Drakken and we didn't get the device we needed. I felt like such a failure!"

"But you still had me," she pointed out. "You could have talked to me!"

"I didn't want to bother you..." he started, but Tara would have none of that.

"You didn't want to bother me?!" She demanded. "Ron, I'm your girlfriend! If I was feeling down, wouldn't you want me to talk to you?"

"Well, yeah," he said.

"But it's not supposed to work the other way?" She looked insulted. "Ron, I'm a tough girl! No, I'm not the fighter that Kim is, but I'm not some little snowflake that's going to melt when things get hot!"

"I never said you were," Ron protested.

"But you're acting like I am!" She actually growled at him. "We're supposed to face things together! Being boyfriend and girlfriend isn't just about the good times! It's supposed to be about helping each other through the tough times! Do you think that I'm just a good time girl?"

"No," Ron had no trouble answering that. A good time girl wouldn't have accompanied him to the Motor Lodge to rescue KP from Fiske. A good time girl wouldn't have helped pull the two boys from the creek.

"So don't treat me like one!" She insisted.

"Okay, I won't," he told her. "I've promised to stop doing those katas for another week, to see if things look up."

"Then every night, when you walk me home, we'll talk about your day while we're walking," she told him.

"No," he corrected her. "We'll talk about each others' day."

"Deal!" She offered, and leaned towards him.

Ron could be a fool, but he wasn't that much of a fool. You did not seal a deal with your girlfriend by shaking hands. He leaned forward and kissed her. Soon, things got heated, becoming a very intense make out session. And why not? It was Valentine's Day and they were happy with each other. Caught up in the moment, he pulled her onto his lap.

She seemed to enjoy the new situation. Soon, his hands had found the gap between her skirt and top and were caressing her back's smooth skin. She unbuttoned his jacket, helped pull it off and set it on the couch's arm before undoing his tie. With his tie off, she started to unbutton his shirt. While he didn't know exactly what she had in mind, he was good to go so far. Once his dress shirt was off, she skinned up his tee shirt and pulled it over his head.

"I wanted to check out your abs," she whispered to him, her lips touching his ear.

"You _did_ see them when we went swimming back in January," he gasped, even though he was having trouble controlling his breathing.

"I like to keep track of them," she whispered back.

She caressed his stomach and chest and then her mouth was on his neck, kissing and nibbling him slightly, prompting his own sigh of pleasure. Emboldened and trusting her to tell him if he was getting out of her comfort zone, he slid his hands slowly down her back to caress her rump. Far from protesting, she sighed and redoubled her efforts on his neck and ears. When he slid his hands up her back, a small hand caught one and guided it around to...

Now he opened his eyes. What he saw was his girlfriend, arching her back with her head tilted upwards and her mouth slightly open. However, in that moment he found himself noticing other details, like how the wood-burner's flickering light reflected off of a basement window...

...where a shadow that shouldn't be there blocked off a portion of the silvery moon.

Suddenly, a horrid suspicion burst into his hormone-dazed mind. He peeled one of his hands away from the very pleasant object it was caressing, reached into his jacket pocket, pulled out his Kimmunicator and activated the flashlight. Tara gave out a small shriek of confusion but the light revealed a dark-clad shape, which scrambled away from the window.

"Yori!" Ron snapped.

"What about her?" Tara demanded, scrambling off of his lap.

"She was watching us from the window!" He told her. For a moment, he was ready to run up the stairs and pursue the ninja but he thought better of it. She had been caught once and now, out in the dark, there was no way he was ever going to track her down.

"Why was she here?" Tara gasped, scrambling to get her blouse on.

"She's spied on us before," Ron grumbled, then his addled brain came to some horrible conclusions.

"Wait a minute," he said, glaring at his girlfriend while he recovered his tee shirt. "Didn't you say that she talked to you last night?"

"Yes."

"Isn't that convenient?" He growled, pulling on his dress shirt.

"What do you mean?" Tara was now looking confused and slightly frightened.

"I decide that being ignored and discounted isn't for me anymore and start doing my katas to get stronger, then Yori talks to you," he growled, pulling on his dress shirt. "What happens? The next night, our making out goes to another level!"

"I did that because I wanted you to touch me!" Tara yelled at him. "No other girl is going to tell me what to do, or not to do, with my boyfriend!"

"And is it just a coincidence that your father gave me a speech before we went out tonight?"

"What speech was that?" Tara demanded.

"My daughter is growing up," Ron did the air quotes while talking. "And while I don't like the idea of her experimenting with what growing up means, I'd rather she do so somewhere safe and with someone who respects her. Oh, by the way, did I ever tell you how much I appreciate how much you respect my daughter?"

"Dad said that?" Tara asked, her eyes wide.

"So it's all a coincidence?" Ron concluded. "I do something that Yori, and Yamanouchi, don't agree with. She talks to you and the next night, I get the speech from your father, we have your house all to ourselves and you're ready to move things along!"

" **I** was ready to move things along?" She looked shocked at the accusation. "You sure as hell weren't putting a halt on things!"

"You weren't complaining!" He pointed out.

"Neither were you!" She countered.

For several minutes, the two teens just glared at each other. Finally, Tara broke the silence.

"Ron, listen to what you're trying to say," she suggested, her teeth clenched against her rising temper. "You're trying to say that Yori told me to seduce you and I brought my folks in on it."

"Okay, Okay I went overboard," Ron admitted, after thinking for a moment. "But..I just feel so manipulated...controlled. It's like someone has decided what I'm going to do for the rest of my life!"

"I don't know if you're being manipulated," Tara told him. "But if you are, I'm not part of it! Is it so hard for you to believe me? We've been dating for months, haven't you been happy? I've been happy!"

"Tara...I..." he started to stammer.

"Do you think I'm happy with Yori spying on me, on us?" Now, Tara's voice was rising. "I'm not the one who knew her from Japan, that was you! So, your friend is suddenly spying on us and it's MY fault?"

"I didn't know she was..."

"If YOU didn't know what she was doing, I sure as hell didn't!" Tara was now roaring in rage.

Ron didn't have an answer.

"What secrets have you been keeping from me?" She demanded. "I didn't know anything about this Mystical Monkey Power until I saw Wade use you to suck the monkey out of Kim! Then a very pretty girl from Japan shows up and says that you and her became friends last year! Then that girl tells me that you've been doing some sort of power grab for the last couple of months! **You** don't know what to believe? Try looking at this from **my** point of view!"

Ron was unable to speak, as he realized just how self-centered he had been in his dealings with those around him. The basement was quiet for several minutes. Finally...

"Maybe we should talk tomorrow," Ron finally managed to say, unable to meet her eyes. "I think we're both very upset and I've already said things I'm going to regret."

"I think that's the smart thing," she agreed.

"I hope you'll be willing to talk to me tomorrow," he told her.

"We'll talk," she agreed. "That talk will determine what we are."

He could only flinch at that. Finally, he nodded and made his way back to his mother's car for the drive home. It was slow going, as he had to wipe tears from his eyes as he drove. Finally, he was home to the empty house. Upset, he went to the back yard, prepared to perform his katas...but he paused.

He had promised to lay off of them. Sure, things weren't working out the way he wanted, but did that justify him breaking his promises? The rush would feel great, but was it worth it? The secrets he had been keeping may have just cost him his girlfriend. Did he want to keep on that path until he drove KP away, as well? He looked back to his house; did he have any right to feel sorry about his parents being gone when he hadn't actually asked them to be around more? Besides, the house wasn't really empty, was it? Rufus was there and Chippy was in the tree house. Even when his parents were gone, there were those who cared about him, close by. Instead of doing the ceremonial kata, he performed a standard one; a series of strikes, blocks and moves that enhanced his abilities...by repeating a series of strikes, blocks and moves.

He received no supernatural rush from the kata, but he felt a little satisfaction at having resisted temptation and done something, no matter how small, to improve himself. He ran through the kata two more times before he was satisfied with it. Then, he went on to a slightly more advanced one, losing his grief in the performance of precise movements and stances. Partway through this one, Chippy emerged from the tree house and critiqued his execution.

After kata came sparring, something to exhaust the boy and burn off the energy the emotional roller-coaster had built up. Chippy used various training weapons to try to hit the boy and Ron drove himself to his limit to defeat the primate. Finally, exhausted, the two called a halt. Ron bowed low to the monkey, acknowledging the small primate's greater mastery and willingness to teach him. After which, he embraced Chippy as a friend. Both actions seemed to both confuse and please the monkey.

He had trouble sleeping that night, but that was fine, wasn't it? He had gone through rough times so some trouble sleeping was to be expected. He wouldn't go out and do the ceremonial katas and he wouldn't raid his parents' liquor cabinet. _He_ would face the situation that he had created.

The night wore on and finally, the numbers on his alarm clock indicated that it wasn't too early for him to get out of bed. He went outside, stretched and performed some basic moves and techniques. Soon, Chippy joined him and coached him some more. After that, it was sparring time again, even though he didn't really feel like it. Still, Chippy wouldn't allow a half-hearted effort and drove the boy to his limit. After sparring, Ron made breakfast for himself, the monkey and Rufus, feeling fellowship with the non-humans. Afterwards, Chippy left for the Space Center. Ostensibly, she was working Frederick to the peak of physical fitness before he left for the space station again, but Ron had suspicions that he wasn't about to voice. Rufus in his pocket, he left for the gym.

He was the first to arrive and waited in the lobby, as Wade had asked him. A few minutes later, Kim showed up, carrying the Transportulator. Finally, Yori showed up. Ron gave her a hard look and she at least had the decency to look ashamed. Before he could approach her and discuss voyeurism, Wade called.

"Okay, I want you three to step into the Gym," he told his friends. "Just inside the door. The lights will come on and I want everyone to stay calm."

"Okay, sounding a little cloak and dagger," Kim noted. "But we'll go with it."

"Perhaps I should stay in reserve," Yori suggested, avoiding eye contact with Ron.

"Good call," Kim told her.

Kim and Ron nodded to each other and did as Wade directed. Inside the gym, the lights came on to reveal...

Lord Montgomery Fiske.

* * *

 _A/N: Again, my thanks to everyone who has read this tale and has taken the time to drop a review. Special thanks to Joe Stoppinghem for his beta reading._

 _daccu65_


	18. Chapter 18

The villain was standing in the center of the gym, his face showing a bit of apprehension. Kim and Ron instinctively jumped away from each other and dropped into fighting stances.

"Fighting will not be necessary," the nobleman informed them. "Nor in my case, advisable. I still have not fully recovered from the injuries Mr. Stoppable and his Asian companion inflicted upon me. At this moment, I am afraid I would be unable to overcome either of you, much less the two of you combined."

"Where are your monkeys, Fiske?" Kim demanded, not relaxing her stance.

"I only brought three with me to Middleton," Fiske informed her. "They are currently at an indoor driving range."

"I can confirm this," Wade's voice sounded over Kim's Kimmunicator. "The only heat signatures in the building are the three of you and Yori."

"So your ninja companion is with you and staying out of sight in case I prove to be somewhat less than trustworthy?" Fiske noted. "A wise precaution."

"So your monkeys never got over their obsession?" Ron asked him.

"No," Fiske admitted. "Being confined to a castle, occupied by monkeys who are moping because they cannot indulge in their pastime to the extent they wish is not pleasant. However, like you told me some weeks ago, it is a situation that I created for myself...Shall we get on with the exchange?"

"Exchange?" Kim asked. "I thought we were giving you this." She held up the Transportulator.

"That was the original plan," Fiske admitted. "But Mr. Lode informed me that I may be able to perform a service to repay your efforts. For that reason, I chose to come in person."

"What service?" Kim asked.

"To speak to Mr. Stoppable about the cost of pursuing power to the detriment of all else," Fiske told her. "Could we be seated? My injuries are rather painful when I stand for a prolonged time. If I can sit and recline on the bleachers, I will be much more comfortable."

Kim couldn't see any reason to argue this, so she gestured towards the home side stands, where Yori could see them from the lobby. Fiske glanced between the doorway and the indicated seating area. Instead of smirking or complaining, he actually nodded his approval. Soon, he and both of the teens were all seated, with Kim and Ron on either side of him but out of arm's reach.

"I would like to begin by asking Mr. Stoppable to remove his footwear." Fiske requested.

"Why do I need to take off my boots?" Ron demanded.

"I believe that your feet may emphasize such points I am prepared to make," the Englishman told his audience. "Or do you have secrets to keep?"

Ron was reluctant, but pulled off his boots and socks. Kim gasped at his feet while Fiske nodded, grimly.

Ron's large toes had begun to shift away from his foot, almost like a thumb to a palm. They weren't even close to being opposable toes, but his feet were a shade closer to being a monkey's feet than a normal human's.

"Your exposure to increased Mystical Monkey Power has started to affect your body," Fiske informed the boy. "Also, you failed to shave this morning, and thus have a unibrow. Because I did not pursue such power until after I had attained adulthood, I had to hire Dr. Hall to modify my body. As you are an adolescent, and your body is still forming, it is reacting to the Mystical Monkey Power."

"Ron, how could you do this to yourself?" Kim demanded.

"It seemed to be worth it," Ron shrugged. "What's a little body modification?"

"Indeed," Fiske agreed. "What is a slight alteration to your form, compared to power? Of course, that's not how you looked at it, is it? What is a slight alteration to your form, compared to the ability to stand between those you love and the world's villains, despots and other evildoers? Your alteration wasn't a sacrifice so much as a mark of devotion to your cause, was it?"

Ron could only stare at the man, he had no answer.

"But it didn't end there, did it?" Fiske continued. "It wasn't just the ability to help those you care about. Soon it became pride. Now, you can actually stand against those villains. Your not just the buffoon and distraction, you're actually a valuable team member, able to fight either Monkeyfist or Shego and allow a ninja to deliver a debilitating strike! So what if you cannot sleep without the rush you get from increasing your power? You're doing good deeds! The world is a better place because of you!"

"This reading my mind isn't helping my temper," Ron managed to mutter.

"I'm not reading your mind," Fiske protested. "I'm recalling my own justifications. While your life is not the same as mine, you are dangerously close to becoming me, Mr. Stoppable. After our last encounter, I had sufficient time to examine my life and discover that I wasn't impressed with the decisions I have made. While I can make some changes in my own life, I can perhaps point out where I went wrong, so that you can face the choices I made with more foresight than I enjoyed."

"Okay, what was my next screw-up?" Ron asked.

"Deciding that nobody would ever understand and appreciate the sacrifices you are making on their behalf," Fiske informed him. "Otherwise, why keep it a secret? Why perform the ceremonies on your own? Why hide the effects from your parents, your lifelong friend, or even an alluring, blonde girl who has a certain romantic interest in you?"

"Leave T..." Ron stopped before actually saying her name. "Leave her out of this."

"I have no intention of drawing her into this," Fiske assured him. "But since she is standing in the lobby, it would be impolite to not invite her in to hear the story."

Ron maintained his discipline, keeping his eyes on Fiske while Kim looked at the lobby. The redhead nodded to her partner and Ron looked himself, his heart dropping when he saw Tara, a shocked expression on her face, staring at them.

"Young lady, you may as well come in," Fiske called out a greeting. "Yes, I am an evil and dangerous man, but your two companions can easily overwhelm me. In addition, a ninja is undoubtedly confirming that I am alone at this time."

"Have you seen or heard her?" Kim asked.

"No," he admitted. "But it is the prudent thing to do and if there is one thing I've learned of the Yamanouchi, prudence is a virtue with them. Anyway, where were we?"

"You were just asking Ron why he was hiding the side-effects of his power grab from everyone," Kim reminded him, as Tara entered the gym and took a nervous seat next to Ron, but keeping the blonde boy between her and the villain.

"Indeed," Fiske nodded to her. "Ronald, do you have any other secrets you would share, or would your companions be unable to understand you?"

"I have one of your monkeys training me in Tai Shen Pek Kwar," Ron admitted. "Chippy is her name."

"Ah, that is what became of her," Monty nodded his understanding. "If I could be so bold, please give her the option of remaining in your service or returning to me. I believe we both owe her that choice."

"Agreed," Ron assured him.

"Very well, let me continue," Fiske resumed his lecture. "Of course you want to keep it a secret, because how can anyone else understand? They don't feel the thrill that courses through your veins as the Mystical Monkey Power makes you stronger, more agile and more attuned to Tai Shen Pek Kwar, do they?"

"Wait a minute," Ron interrupted. "I thought you didn't have access to those ceremonial katas."

"I don't," Fiske admitted. "I had mastered Tai Shen Pek Kwar before acquiring the Mystical Monkey Power. As such, I experience a rush as I continue to train in Monkey Kung-Fu. I am certain that the euphoria I experience is not as intense as yours, but I can at least understand the thrill. We are on different paths, Mr. Stoppable, but the destination could very well be the same."

"And this is supposed to make me stop?" Ron asked him. "You're wealthy, well-connected and respected. I'm supposed to think those are bad things?"

"My wealth and connections have nothing to do with the Mystical Monkey Power," Monty pointed out. "I inherited the wealth and connections from my ancestors. I am not respected so much as I am feared. What you may not realize is how alone I am."

Fiske took a deep breath before continuing, "Ronald, you came here with your lifelong friend, who is a master of hand-to-hand combat. You were also accompanied, willingly, by a ninja student of an ancient and capable ninja school. A young super-genius, of his own volition, is probably monitoring us as we speak. A young woman, with no combat training, accompanied you to the Motor Lodge and assisted in your rescue of Miss Possible, probably because she refused to let you face danger alone."

Tara tensed slightly when the villain referred to her.

"Do not be embarrassed," he told her. "Courage and loyalty are nothing to be ashamed of."

"So, there's always someone around to save me," Ron challenged the man.

"No! There's always someone around because they have affection for you," Fiske corrected. "That is why I have never had a clear-cut victory over you, Mr. Stoppable. You are a likable and kindly person. What little you may sacrifice in power due to this kindness and consideration, you more than make up for in the willing assistance those around you will provide."

Fiske allowed himself a snort of humorless laughter. "I should have realized this from my communications with Mr. Lode. He told me that he had greater access to information than did I, because he was affiliated with Miss Possible, who is well known for helping others. On the other hand, I was well known for taking what I wanted, so people hide their valuables and knowledge from me. Being sometimes foolish, like yourself, I sometimes need such lessons repeated, sometimes painfully."

Ron looked thoughtful, but not convinced.

"Mr. Stoppable," Monty addressed him formally. "Do you know what the last words my father ever said to me were?"

"Please don't work on the release mechanism while I am directly under the portcullis...oh dear!" Ron answered.

"Technically, that is correct," Fiske admitted. "And in my defense, he had asked me to repair that mechanism earlier that day; and eleventh-century mechanisms can be decidedly touchy in the twentieth century. Anyway, the last piece of advice he gave me was from the walls of our castle. He told me that for ten centuries, our castle walls had done what they had been built to do; keep enemies at bay. However, the side effect was that they also kept kept friends out and us inside. I was what you would call a loner, Ronald, and he didn't want me to experience life without close friends. Unfortunately, I have managed to do just that."

"You are free to take my advice if you wish to do so," he concluded. "I'll admit to a certain self-interest, as I don't want another man obsessed with the Mystical Monkey Power. However, I have an honest wish to see a young man not make the same mistakes that I have. You are surrounded by people, as well as a rodent and a couple of monkeys, who wish to share your life. Cherish them and don't turn you back upon them. Power isn't worth it."

"I believe that I have fulfilled the terms of my agreement with Mr. Lode," Monty told the teens, painfully regaining his feet a placing a hand on his back. Kim handed him the Transportulator.

"Do you need any help getting to the airport?" Kim asked.

"No," he answered. "I need only concentrate on driving on the right hand side of the road. Besides, you don't want to share a vehicle with monkeys who are bragging to each other about their golf prowess."

The teens watched him leave.

"Kim?" Tara asked the redhead. "Do you mind if I speak to Ron for a little bit, in private?"

"Not at all," Kim told her. "By the way, where's Yori?"

"I felt that Fiske would be more trustworthy with a blade close to his undamaged kidney," Yori's voice, from under the bleachers, announced. "I shall go to the lobby so that these two may speak in private. However, Stoppable-san and King-san, I apologize for watching you last night."

"We'll talk later, Yori," Tara said. She then climbed to her feet. Ron did the same, wondering if he was simply preparing to meet bad news while standing.

Tara watched Kim leave, then saw Yori emerge from under the bleachers and join Kim in the lobby. She then turned to Ron.

"Maybe she did us a favor," Tara told him. "She forced us to talk about things that we might not have."

"Like how stupid I was to be thinking of conspiracies, when I was the one keeping secrets," Ron agreed. "About how I wasn't looking at things from your point of view."

"That's for damned sure," Tara grumbled.

"I'm so sorry," Ron struggled to keep from sobbing. "I was so stupid! I thought I was doing you, doing everyone a favor, instead, I was letting everyone down."

"That's the only reason I'm not screaming at you, right now," Tara admitted. "Your intentions were good...sort of."

Ron flinched.

"But where are we now?" Tara asked.

"I want to be your boyfriend," Ron answered, without hesitation. "I know you're mad at me, with good reason. But I'd like to at least try to work through this. Tara, since starting high school, the happiest I've been was when I've been dating you."

For what seemed a long time, Tara gave him a level look. Then, she reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out the jade hexagon.

"Wade called me and asked me to show up here," she told Ron. "He said that I would probably learn some more about you and why you acted the way you did. I brought this along to give back to you. It's to precious to keep, if I'm not your girlfriend anymore."

She handed the talisman to Ron. His heart plummeted when she turned away from him.

She held her mass of hair up, exposing her neck.

"Please put it back on me."

His hands trembling, Ron undid the clasp and returned the jewelry to where it belonged.

"We're going to have to have a long talk," Tara told him. "But the happiest I've been since starting high school has been when dating you, too."

"Hey, Ron!" A familiar voice shouted, interrupting the thanks Ron wanted to give his girlfriend. The two blondes looked to see Monique rushing into the gym.

"Kim's dad said she'd be here, so I was pretty sure this is where you'd be!" The fashion maven rushed up to the two. "Excuse me, Tara. Ron! I'm so sorry with how much I was harshing on you! I thought you had swindled Cocoa Banana out of a couple of original designs and I was so busy with the holiday coming up, so I wasn't thinking clearly when Mrs. Thompson said those things about our science project. But it's really a good one and now that she's realized that she had that fever, we're back on with it and we're sure to get A's for the project..."

Monique put her hands on Ron's shoulders and looked him in the eye, "but I still shouldn't have been taking it out on you so I'm sorry and...Tara? Ron? Why are the two of you crying?"

"We just had a dramatic heart-to-heart," Tara told the other girl. "And we were about to share a heartwarming, dramatic kiss. But you're standing between me and my boyfriend, so if you don't move, I'm going to give him that heartwarming, dramatic kiss right through you!"

"Awp!" Monique squawked, scrambling away.

But not quite fast enough. One flailing arm was caught between the two blondes as they threw their arms around each other and kissed each other with all the passion that teenage love could generate.

"Hey you two!" Monique protested, unable to free her appendage. "Can you back off long enough to let me go? I'm losing feeling in that hand! For pity's sake, don't the two of you ever come up for air? Kim! A little help here?"

"I think that these two are taking care of what they need to," the aforementioned redhead told her friend, walking into the gym with a broad smile on her face. "You'll just have to suffer until they finish!"

"And when's that likely to be?" Monique demanded. "I kind of need both of my hands and I'm not really all that comfortable standing right next to this!"

Fortunately for the frazzled retail employee, the two blondes broke the lip contact to catch their breath, which provided just enough slack for her to pull her numbed limb from between them.

"Do me a favor?" Tara asked him.

"Anything," he promised.

"Your folks are going to get back home tonight," she reminded him. "Let's put together a nice meal for them, my folks and us. Then, we can all sit down and you can tell all of us what you can of this Monkey Power of yours." She looked at the Japanese girl. "If Yori can make it, she can make sure you're not giving out any secrets that you shouldn't."

"It will be my honor to attend this family meal," the ninja assured her friends.

"Eight O'clock?" Ron asked.

"That will work," Tara agreed.

"In the mean time, what say we all hit Bueno Nacho for some binge-eating to amp down the drama?" Ron suggested.

"That sounds great," Tara agreed, taking his hand. "While we're there, Yori can explain why she was watching us last night."

"You were watching them?" Monique asked, matching her pace with the blondes as they made their way to the exit. "What did you see?"

"After exchanging some words I could not hear," Yori stated. "King-san was upon Stoppable-san's lap and his hands were..."

"YORI" Ron yelled. "That's private!"

"I don't mind hearing about it," Monique admitted.

"I don't, either," Kim added, with a predatory grin.

"Well, Kim, you can just get with Felix and figure it out yourself," Tara informed her cheer captain. "Monique, you can just get your own boyfriend and make your own memories." She paused, "speaking of memories, Ron, maybe you can give me a little preview of what you'll tell our parents tonight."

"Well," Ron replied. "It started when Fiske asked KP to retrieve this jade statue. At the time, we didn't know about the Mystical Monkey Power, so we thought it would be going to a museum..."

* * *

Epilogue:

The alarm tone and lights sounded throughout Fiske Castle, sending Lord Montgomery Fiske scrambling out of his bathtub in a shower of soapy water and harsh language.

"The spirit it in the fence maze," Wade Lode's voice sounded through the structure. "It should reach the front gate in twenty-seven minutes. Lord Fiske, please go to your study. Monkey ninjas, to your stations."

Lord Montgomery Fiske felt a momentary surge of irritation that Lode, from his bedroom across the Atlantic, was giving orders in his castle but he quickly suppressed it. Fiske himself was scrambling to dry and dress himself at the moment. Time was vital and the young genius was saving it by making sure the plans were being executed.

"What is the situation, young man?" The archaeologist asked, as he reached his study.

"The spirit is halfway to the front gate," Wade reported. "Your monkeys have opened all of the affected doors and your car is started and ready to go, in case this doesn't work. You can transport yourself at your convenience...as long as the next twenty minutes is convenient."

Fiske had to chuckle at the boy's sense of humor. He dialed the number on Dementor's device and suddenly found himself standing in one of the levels of his dungeons, surrounded by new stonework.

"I'm tracking the spirit," Wade's voice assured him from the newly-installed telephone that had just delivered the nobleman to the underground chamber. "It has just changed its direction of travel, it is now heading towards the new construction surrounding you."

"And your status?" Fiske asked him, swallowing his anxiety.

"Two of my Wadebots are in position, pre-programmed to finish the wall once the spirit enters the new hallways. So far, so good."

The waiting was the hardest part. Fiske tried to meditate, tried to relax, tried anything to make the time go by. Finally...

"The spirit has entered new construction," Wade reported. "It is traveling at the speed predicted, slowed considerably by the fact that it has to travel along the cardinal directions and the hallways are set forty-five degrees off of them."

"Is it showing any sign of breaking through the walls?" Fiske asked.

He grimaced at his own question. If it was breaking the walls, he would hear it and Wade would undoubtedly report it. He had asked for the sake of saying something.

"Negative," Wade reported. "It would appear that I was correct. By performing all new construction with robots, no primates crossed the walls and therefore, the wall have no doorways by the creature's rules. Twelve minutes before we dial you out."

"Understood," Fiske replied, struggling to keep his voice steady. Again, time seemed to stand still.

"Time to dial out," Wade reported. "The spirit is four minutes, at current speed, away from you."

"Dialing," Fiske acknowledged, irritated when he heard a quaver in his voice.

It seemed to take forever, and Fiske was wondering why he didn't provide a telephone equipped with a speed dial, but it probably took less than a minute before Fiske found himself standing in his study once again.

"Status, Mr. Lode?" He asked.

"The spirit has turned and is retracing its route to the opening," Wade's voice answered him. "Twelve minutes before it reaches the new wall, over the opening it just passed through. Then we'll know."

"It may sound cowardly to ask," Fiske admitted. "But my escape is planned in case this doesn't work?"

"Your escape route and a backup vehicle are standing by," Wade assured him.

"Very well, I guess I wait," Fiske sighed. Again, time dragged slowly by until.

"It has reached the new wall," Wade crowed. "And it isn't breaking through. Lord Fiske, can I impose on you to walk around the prison and confirm that the plan worked?"

"Gladly!" Montgomery Fiske nearly crowed, himself. He jumped to his feet and rushed through his castle, almost skipping in his enthusiasm.

It took hours to confirm, but it appeared that Mr. Lode's careful research had paid off. By using Wadebots to construct a simple labyrinth under Fiske's castle, Wade had built walls that no primates had crossed, thus not giving the spirit a doorway to break through. By using the Transportulator to transport Fiske into the center of the maze, he drew the spirit within. Then, by using Wadebots to build a wall over the last opening and the Transportulator to extract Fiske from the labyrinth, he denied the creature a doorway to break out. Fiske walked around the new maze several times, with one of Wade's robots inside tracking the creature the entire time, to confirm that it couldn't escape.

"Very well, Mr. Lode," Montgomery Fiske, back in his study, spoke to the far-away genius. "What now?"

"I have one of my robots installing alarms around the maze," Wade reported. "If it manages to get out, you and I will know, very quickly."

"And how will you release it, should I turn upon you or your friends?" Fiske asked.

"Lord Fiske?" Wade asked.

"Mr. Lode, you are no fool," Monty told him. "And neither am I. You have done a brilliant job here, but you would be a fool to trust me. Being prudent and intelligent, you must have some way prepared to release it, should I fail to honor my word."

"I do," Wade admitted. "But I find it prudent to not tell you at this time."

"A wise precaution," Fiske told him.

"Lord Fiske?" Wade asked. "What will you do now?"

"I have arranged a series of lectures as several universities," the nobleman told the boy. "I think it's time for me to instill a value for archaeology, honest archaeology, in the young. I have also contacted Mr. Killigan and arranged for golf lessons. I believe it is time for me to start socializing with my peers and I understand that golf provides an excellent icebreaker."

"Your plans sound sensible to me," Wade told him. "I hope you don't mind if I check up on you, now and again."

"I would think less of you if you didn't," the Englishman informed him. "Goodbye for now."

Satisfied, Lord Montgomery Fiske left his study and looked out of his window as a particular constellation in the night sky. The stars were close to the proper alignment. In six months; a year at the most, the Han would emerge. What would he do then? Right now, he was satisfied to curtail his quest for power, but would this new found contentment still be present at that time? Would he be satisfied to be a lecturer, an archaeologist, or would the fact that the spirit remained beneath his castle become intolerable, prompting him to quest for the Han and the means to eliminate it?

Fiske decided that such musings could wait until a later time. It was time for a trip to Scotland and his first golf lesson.

* * *

"So it appears that the spirit is trapped in a maze under Fiske's castle," Wade reported to his friends.

"Good job," Kim congratulated her young friend.

"Did I mention that I'm glad you're on our side?" Ron added.

The two teens were sitting at their booth in Bueno Nacho, enjoying a light snack after their workout as part of the track team.

"Well, I do what I can," Wade actually blushed over the Kimmunicator's screen. "I can say that we've removed one from the bad guy ranks...even though I'm going to keep an eye on him."

"We trust you, Wade," Ron assured him.

"Enjoy the weekend," Wade told them.

"I'm sure we will," Kim told him. "I have a date with Felix tonight and Ron has a date with Tara."

"A double date again?" Wade asked.

"To start," Kim told him. "We'll get together for a movie and a meal, then do our own things. Anyway, do you have anything else for us?"

"Not at this time," Wade told her. "Drakken might be doing something with a toy company in Japan, but I have to do some more research and confirm this before having you take action."

"We'll be ready to go when you find out," Kim assured him.

The two teens got up and went to their respective homes. Ron showered and dressed, looking forward to the date. He loved double-dating with Felix and KP. It was nice to have another guy to talk to at times and he knew that Tara appreciated being able to talk to another girl. He was very comfortable with his girlfriend and couldn't believe how close he had come to turning his back on romance, friendship and family, just for the sake of power. He was glad that Wade had succeeded in trapping the spirit and taking Fiske out of the ranks of the bad guys.

Of course, there was always the chance that Fiske wouldn't stay the way he was now. Power had a strong allure and Monty had enough of a taste of it to be severely tempted. Frowning for a moment, Ron considered the large envelope, hidden under a false bottom in one of his desk drawers. Kim wasn't the only one who could call in favors and not all information was stored and transmitted via electronic means. When Yori and he had thwarted Fiske's plans in Myanmar, Ron had had a discrete word with the monk. True to his word, the holy man had sent the teen illustrated translations of all of the ceremonies associated with the Mystical Monkey Power, to which he had access.

While Ron was uneasy having these translations, not to mention keeping them secret from everyone, he bowed to necessity. If Fiske ever obtained additional power and went bad again, or if some other overwhelming force were to show up, Ron would have to turn his back on friends, family and romance.

But that wasn't in the cards, at least for the moment. Everything seemed to be going great. Chippy was training him at Kung-Fu, his grades were great and he was becoming a star on the track team. His parents were home more often and he was opening up to them more, gaining their advice. As for Tara, the two of them were stronger than ever. Giving his desk drawer one last pat, he left; eager to spend time with his friends and the blue-eyed angel waiting for him.

* * *

 _A/N:_

 _That's the end of the tale, folks. Thanks for staying with me through to the end. I hope you've enjoyed this little journey through my imagination. As always, my fond thanks to Joe Stoppinghem, for beta reading._

 _Until the next time we meet, best wishes to all._

 _daccu65_


End file.
